Last week EPA released a report aimed at raising public awareness of water’s importance to the national economy. The report synthesizes and summarizes information aimed at helping decision makers to “better manage the nation’s water resources.”
The report discusses how water is connected to local, regional and national commerce and trade and how the connection between energy, water and food is fundamental to understanding the economic importance of water.
The difficulty of determining the true value of water is addressed, with an observation that price often does not “reflect water’s true worth” and may encourage “inefficient and potentially unsustainable use.” As a result, the report states, estimates of the value of water are inadequate to support management decisions, and therefore water managers must use the best possible data available in their decision-making. The report ends with suggested information needs to better inform water use decisions in the future.