The value of water ought to ...

The value of water ought to be allied with local circumstances: affordability, availability, future challenges and how pricing may affect demand.

The price of water ought to be at a level that incentivises each user to use it in a sustainable manner. So, sustainably priced water works best when users know how much water they are using and are fully informed about how they can use less.

[1] Domestic. 3% of household income is the maximum. This can be brought about via social tariffs where needed.

[2] Municipal. At a level that envourages municipalities to integrate demand management at all levels of water use and reuse.

[3] Industrial. Incentives to both minimise waterr consumption and effluent generation.

[4] Irrigation. Over-watering crops inhibits yields. In many countries, the scope to use efficient irrigation techniques along with soil moisture and weather monitoring to ensure that the right amount of water is used at the right time.

[5] Utilities. tariffs should cover at least 130% of O+M costs. The surplus is used to fund capital expenditure and service extension, blended with other funding sources.   

David Lloyd Owen