From email from the Water Research Foundation via a colleague at work:
On December 7, 2010, at 3:30 pm ET (2:30pm CT, 1:30pm MT, 12:30pm PT) the Water Research Foundation will present a one-hour Webcast titled “North American Residential Water Usage Trends and Applications for Utilities.”
Register for this Webcast by clicking on the link below:
http://video.webcasts.com/events/h2oo001/36778
Synopsis
Many water utilities are experiencing declining water sales among residential households, even though the total number of residents and households continues to grow and as household incomes continue to rise. A variety of theories have been advanced to explain the declining usage, however, to date, no definitive statement has been made as to the validity of these theories or the amount each variable contributes to residential water-usage decline.
While “water conservation” is normally viewed as protecting a scarce resource, this can cause revenue erosion and uncertainty in terms of meeting revenue requirements for water utilities. Without a clear understanding of the changing water-use patterns, it is difficult to develop appropriate pricing structures that will both recoup costs and provide resources for the future. Thus, for utilities to both encourage conservation and have sufficient financial reserves for maintenance and growth, it is necessary to better understand how water-use patterns have changed over the last 30 years, what factors are driving usage, and how these factors might impact utilities in the future.
This Webcast, based on the published report North American Residential Water Usage Trends and Applications for Utilities (Order #4031), will focus on (1) understanding residential water-usage behavior patterns and trends, (2) assessing the impact of those patterns on water utility operations, and (3) providing data that can be correlated with future trends for planning purposes.
Presenters:
Greg C. Heitzman, President/CEO, Louisville Water Company and Thomas D. Rockaway, Director of the University of Louisville’s Center for Infrastructure Research
If you have any questions about registration, please contact Terry Freeman at tfreeman@WaterRF.org, or 303-347-6248. Registration to the Webcast is free to Foundation subscribers and is one of the many benefits of being a Foundation subscriber. Foundation subscribers will also be able to download the Webcast from the Water Research Foundation Website a few days after the event.
More education coverage here.