The Blueprint suggests that restoring just 14,200 hectares of deforested areas and preventing erosion on just over 2,000 hectares in São Paulo's watershed can cut the concentration of sediment in half. As part of Brazil's first Water Producer Program, farmers and ranchers in the nearby municipality of Extrema are paid US $120 per hectare to reforest or terrace their fields, among other strategies. This has led to improved water quality for the city and also benefits farmers and ranchers.
The Return on Investment for Water Utilities
Sourcing information on reported water treatment plant operations and maintenance (O&M) costs from a sample of cities, the Urban Water Blueprint shows that reductions in sediment and nutrients by 10 percent leads on average to a roughly five percent reduction in treatment costs. If all possible conservation strategies were applied, global water savings on treatment plant O&M would be US $890 million per year.
Out of all 534 cities analyzed, one in four would realize a positive return on investment after implementing watershed conservation measures. The report estimates that 59 cities in the U.S. alone fall into this category, including Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., and Atlanta. Of course, the return on investment would vary widely among cities.
A well-known case study in New York City offers testimony to this return. In the 1990s the city needed to demonstrate to state and federal regulators that it could comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Officials discovered that building an additional water treatment plant would cost approximately $8-10 billion dollars, not including hundreds of millions in annual O&M. In contrast, they found they could meet the federal standards by protecting the city's water source instead. Now, New York City is investing $1.5 billion over 10 years to preserve its forested watershed, acquire new land and restore critical habitats -- ultimately keeping the water supply among the cleanest in the world.
Cities that embrace this strategy will recognize multiple benefits. In addition to improving water quality, source watershed conservation improves aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. The strategies can also generate jobs in rural communities and recreational benefits for all to enjoy. These benefits are not as easily monetized but they offer untapped political capital to mayors and utility managers willing to do things differently.
The Blueprint as a Decision-Making Tool
The Urban Water Blueprint provides a resource for decision-makers in evaluating water quantity and quality risk across the world's largest cities, the steps cities have taken to overcome stress, and the cost benefits of incorporating natural solutions into their water management plans. Likewise, it outlines recommendations for cities, water utilities and partners interested in realizing the market potential of natural solutions. By laying out elements of a scale-up approach, the Blueprint provides cities with a recommended pathway for successfully implementing conservation measures, monetizing the value of watershed conservation and stimulating demand for additional natural infrastructure.