The Watershed Conservation Screening Tool: A Resource for Large Water Users

Many water utilities and other large water users struggle with degrading raw water quality over time, such as increases in turbidity, nutrient and algal load, or other pollutants. Raw water quality matters, of course, because it affects the costs of operations and maintenance of a water supply system, and in extreme cases, poor raw water quality can overwhelm the ability of a given water treatment plant to successfully treat water up to the needed standard. There are lots of strategies that water managers can use to maintain raw water quality, but one interesting and promising set of tools tries to use conservation actions in the source watershed to maintain water quality.