To gather information to support effective economic decisions related to water, EPA is conducting a study on the “Importance of Water in the U.S. Economy.” As part of the study, EPA supported the development of a series of papers written by experts to present current economic analyses and innovations. These expert reports, which were presented at a technical workshop in September, included: The Changing Value of Water to the U.S. Economy: Implications from Five Key Industrial Sectors; Urban Growth and Water; and Does a Water Economy Exist: The Impact of the Availability of Water on Employment in U.S. Metropolitan Areas.
EPA will present the draft report from the Importance of Water initiative at a public symposium in December. The symposium is also intended to initiate a dialogue with public and private sector leaders on the types of information used to guide business decisions related to water management and explore ways to fill information gaps and prepare for future water needs. The final report is expected to be completed in 2013.
For more information, visit http://water.epa.gov/action/importanceofwater/index.cfm. For the expert reports: http://water.epa.gov/action/importanceofwater/expertpapers.cfm.