What does the Great Lakes Compact mean for water conservation?

Seven years in the making, the Great Lakes Compact went into effect last December after successfully passing through the legislatures of the eight Great Lakes states and Congress. This historic, multistate agreement outlines a regional approach for sustainably managing the waters of the Great Lakes.

A central component of the compact is its ban-with limited exceptions-on diversions of Great Lakes water to points outside the Great Lakes basin, an area defined by the lakes and land that drains into them. This piece of the compact has received considerable attention, particularly in Wisconsin, where the city of Waukesha is on track to become the region’s first out-of-basin community to apply for an exception to the diversion ban.

Perhaps equally significant but less discussed is a compact component that requires the Great Lakes states to implement water conservation programs in areas within the basin. In Wisconsin, Governor Jim Doyle wants to go even further: he has called for a conservation program for the entire state.

“Many communities that rely on groundwater are already reaching the limits of their water supply, and finding additional water sources will be expensive,” said Jeff Ripp, water conservation coordinator at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). “Conservation is the cheapest source of new water.”

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Source: Bay View Compass

Officials concerned about future water supply

JOLIET, IL– Potentially serious water shortages are possible in northeastern Illinois’ future, depending on whether the region plans effectively, a new report says.

Under one scenario, demand for water in an 11-county area including Chicago could rise 64 percent by 2050, according to the report, commissioned by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. “To ensure an adequate supply for residential, commercial and recreational needs, we must start now to plan better — and conserve more,” said Randy Blankenhorn, director of the agency.

The report also would seem to give added importance to local water studies, such as the one being conducted in Lockport. In July, the regional planning agency released the report, which describes three possible scenarios for water demand in the 11 counties in the year 2050.

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Source: The Herald News

For more information on water conservation, visit www.nuprana.com

Senate passes bill to protect Great Lakes

CHICAGO — Efforts to protect the Great Lakes from those who may covet their vast quantities of water for an increasingly thirsty world took a major step forward Friday as the Senate passed legislation endorsing the Great Lakes Basin Compact.

The broad multi-state agreement would ban most diversion of Great Lakes water to any place outside the basin and would mandate conservation efforts inside it. Despite what some criticized as significant loopholes in the measure, House leaders said the bill would be a priority after the five-week congressional recess, and President Bush has said he would sign it.

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Source: The Chicago Tribune

For more information on water conservation, visit www.nuprana.com