Water Conservation
In recent years Washington has experienced several droughts. In response to the drought of 2001, many local governments prepared contingency plans for water shortage emergencies. Due to drier and warmer-than-average weather conditions and long-term forecast, the state again experienced drought conditions in 2005. On March 11, 2005, Govenor Gregoire authorized the Department of Ecology to declare a statewide drought emergency through December 31, 2005 (See Press Release). Since conditions exist for periodic water shortage, MRSC has retained links to informational materials related to the 2001 and 2005 drought.
For current information on drought conditions see the Department of Ecology's Web pages on Water Supply Information and Water Conservation which provide information on Water Supply Forecast and Current Conditions and Washington’s Drought Declaration Process FAQs.
MRSC's Water Conservation pages provide links to water conservation information for Washington local governments. For comments or additions to this page contact Lynne De Merritt, Senior Research Consultant at ldemerritt@mrsc.org or (206) 625-1300.
Contents
- Drought Provisions
- Water Conservation Overview
- Water Conservation Issues
- Why Conserve Water?
- Water Use Efficiency
- Federal Guidelines
- Water Conservation Planning in Washington State
- Relationship of Water Conservation to Salmon Restoration
- Sample Conservation Plans from Water System Plans
- Sample Water Conservation and Water Use Efficiency Policies
- Water Conservation Measures
- Information Resources