Water Demand Management in Canada: A State-of-the-Art Review

Social Science Series No. 23

Abstract

This paper presents an in-depth review of water demand management with emphasis on Canadian applications. Water demand management is defined as any socially beneficial measure that reduces or re-schedules average or peak withdrawals from surface- or ground-water sources while maintaining or mitigating the extent to which return flows are degraded. The demand management approach differs from traditional supply-oriented approaches in placing its emphasis on social and economic policies to influence the uses to which water is put. This approach should be viewed as complementing, not replacing, supply management. Economic concepts, such as effective water pricing and charges based on waste effluent characteristics, are viewed as central to introducing demand management as one of the fundamental approaches to water management in Canada.

The demand management theme is developed for four water use sectors: municipal, industrial, agricultural, and non-withdrawal uses. The role of realistic water pricing is developed in the municipal chapter as an effective means of rationalizing water demands. The industrial chapter examines demand management measures for effluent control, finding that measures such as pricing offer valuable adjuncts to regulatory approaches. Issues of public policy are examined in the agricultural chapter, where it is concluded that high water use in irrigation is sanctioned by public development policies with only secondary attention to matters of resource economics. The chapter on non-withdrawal use focuses on the value of water and the role of demand management in enhancing this value. Later chapters include an outline of international experiences in demand management and an outline of strategies that can be used to implement a comprehensive water demand management program in Canada. The overall conclusion is that demand management is currently in its infancy in Canada and that the approach, when used in tandem with current approaches, offers the prospect of improved water management in the future.

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Sustainable Water Management
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