Title: A framework for improving economic analysis of water reuse opportunities

Authors: Marisa Tricas; Barry Liner

Addresses: Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room: 2209J, Mail code: 4607M, Washington, DC 20004, USA ' Water Science and Engineering Center, Water Environment Federation, 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22308, USA

Abstract: The economic value of water is a critical part of economic growth, but often taken for granted. Decision-makers in both the private and the public sectors will need economic information that can help them maximise the benefits derived from sustainable water management. The framework must expand beyond the direct costs and benefits of the project, but include the indirect and induced effects such as job creation and expanded tax base for the region. Adapting the economic development evaluation framework from the transportation sector can help the water sector better quantify and enumerate the economic development impacts from water reuse projects and programs. Water sector investments were comparable to transportation investments on a job creation and return on investment scale.

Keywords: water reuse; economics; economic analysis; water; wastewater; agriculture; California; reclaimed water.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPDM.2017.085406

International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making, 2017 Vol.2 No.3, pp.207 - 220

Received: 24 Oct 2016
Accepted: 01 Mar 2017
Published online: 25 Jul 2017 *

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