EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
By Chris LaRoche, MPA 2011
There are two approaches when addressing a ‘wicked’ problem like water: tackling the largest problem, or tackling the easiest one. Unfortunately, the water problems of greatest impact –bringing water to the thirsty; reducing water waste through agricultural practices– are exceedingly difficult. Conversely, the issues concerning US domestic water waste are not only relatively easy to tackle, but easy to solve; and solving these problems will result in huge reductions in water consumption.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
The United States has no single “water issue”, rather many of them. They include:
- Overpopulation in water stressed areas, specifically, the Southwest;
- Leaking pipes in municipal water systems;
- The practice of dumping usable recycled water instead of reusing it;
- Water-wasteful agricultural practices;
- Economic policies that promote water-intense crops;
- Municipal water laws that prohibit water saving measures;
- Municipal water rates don’t accurately reflect the true value of water,
Despite the plethora and diversity of problems, they share a few commonalities: the under-value of water, the lack of awareness of water, and the lack of political will to implement water saving policies.
Thus, we propose the X Prize for US Community Water Conservation to the local government (city, county, water district) that demonstrates the greatest proportional reduction in per capita water consumption while increasing local food production; judges will also consider equity and other additional benefits.
2. TEAM DEFINITION
In order to enter, teams must meet two requirements:
1- Be an elected local government that can
2- Measure its water consumption
Teams fall into three categories according to size (small, medium, and large); prizes are awarded as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
3. METRICS
The primary focus of the competition is water use. The first metric will be greatest decrease in proportional per capita water use, as measured by pre-existing, established and standardized methods.
A secondary metric of the competition is “local food production” and urban agriculture. Aside from the natural connection between water and agriculture, local food production is included for a few reasons:
- As a means to address the issue of “embedded water consumption”: water used indirectly through food, products, and industry;
- An extension of embedded consumption- to prevent teams from simply “externalizing” (literally) their water consumption by importing food from another location.
Additionally, judges will consider “economic equity”, to ensure that a team’s solution is not detrimental to another party; “other additional benefits” is included as a means of capturing the whole story –what happens when communities change their habits?
5. PRIZE DISTRIBUTION
Having additional metrics complicates the task of deciding the winner. The X Prize for US Community Water Conservation compensates for this fact by distributing many awards. In additional to “Gold”, “Silver”, and “Bronze” in each of the three size categories, plus any other acknowledgement the judges see fit. Possible other awards include “People’s Choice” and “Special Achievement”.
6. BENEFITS
The X Prize for US Community Conservation incorporates several key aspects of past X Prizes. It tackles a “Grand Challenge” -US consumption habits; it stimulates economic activity; it rewards progress and achievement; its low barrier to entry and wide scope enable a large percentage of the US population to participate. Finally, it places the onus of publicity and education on the competitors.
7. FLEXIBILITY
One great asset of this prize is its flexibility. With slight modification, the prize can be adjusted to fit other stand-along entities, such as colleges and school districts. It can be modified to target industrial water use (“to the factory that can reduce its water use”) or agricultural water use (“to the county that demonstrates the greatest reduction in water use while maintaining or increasing food production”). The metrics can be substituted to address social issues, such as childhood obesity and public health.
By looking at the proportional consumption habits of a pre-designated entities, the X Prize Foundation can conceive of many different prize possibilities.
