Water is essential for all living beings, yet its availability is often taken for granted. Now, as water vulnerabilities stemming from climate change and failing infrastructure are commonplace, conservation has become more than a haphazard practice; for a large swath of the nation, it is a necessary safeguard protecting the future of water. To ensure its longevity, communities are adopting policies and practices that advance conservation and water efficiency, although some are moving to do so more quickly than others.

The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) recently released its 2022 State Policy Scorecard for Water Efficiency and Sustainability that ranks U.S. states according to the laws and policies adopted and implemented in support of water efficiency, conservation, sustainability, and affordability. The previous Scorecard was released in 2017 and overall, little advancement was identified in the specified categories since then. Out of a possible 89 points (99 with extra credit), the average state score was only 23 points.[1]

Unsurprisingly, the states that ranked highest were those facing water stress, and many of the top ten states remain unchanged from 2017. The state with the highest score was California which distinguishes itself as the only state to require utilities to have a plan regarding climate change. Texas and Arizona follow as the second and third top scores, respectively. Tied for last were Alaska and Mississippi.

According to the Scorecard, one area of progress was in plumbing fixture standards and codes. Since 2017, ten states adopted point-of-sale plumbing efficiency standards that exceed federal standards. California earned “extra credit” on this year’s Scorecard (the only state to do so) for mandating that fixtures be upgraded at the sale of a building or home. Alternatively, only two states (Michigan and New York) adopted drought preparedness planning and policies since 2017 bringing the total to 21, a disappointing statistic given the widespread impacts of climate change, including drought, across the nation.

There were several new categories for the Scorecard, one of which was State Funding and Support for Water Reuse which includes regulations set at the state level governing water reuse. 14 states reported having water use regulations as well as funding available for reuse projects, and 15 states have regulations but no funding.

Although water shortfalls are most associated with the Southwest, drought occurred at some point in every state during 2022.[2] Reducing water use and increasing efficiency are important even in times not driven by crisis and are closely tied to policies and programs enacted at the local and regional level. According to Ron Burke, President and CEO of AWE, “Water efficiency and conservation are typically the fastest and least expensive ways to save water while also lowering water bills, reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, protecting rivers and lakes, and enhancing resilience to extreme weather events.”[3]

As states plan for the use of funds allocated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, established state-level policies and programs will help drive effective decision- making.

[1] “2022 State Policy Scorecard for Water Efficiency and Sustainability.” Alliance for Water Efficiency, 18 Jan. 2023, https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/2022scorecard.

[2] “Annual 2022 Drought Report.” Annual 2022 Drought Report | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 12 Jan. 2023, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/drought/202213#:~:text=California,-California%20Statewide%20Precipitation&text=California%20has%20been%20the%20epicenter,May%2C%20and%20January%2DOctober.

[3] “2022 State Policy Scorecard for Water Efficiency and Sustainability.” Alliance for Water Efficiency, 18 Jan. 2023, https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/2022scorecard.