Conservation is a main principle of both environmentalism and economics, yet far too seldom do the ideals of environmental policy and economic policy interlace.

Spokane finds itself at this crossroads with a newly implemented water rate structure that is aimed at water resource conservation goals, yet will also likely save the everyday consumer a little coin at the end of each month. What’s good for the consumer is also good for our aquifer and our Spokane River.

Like all resources, water in Spokane is far from unlimited. It’s quite the opposite in fact, and to believe otherwise is both dangerous and wrong. Currently the city of Spokane pumps about 22 billion gallons of water per year – 100 percent of that coming from the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. Projected growth in our region has the city of Spokane growing by about 230,000 people by 2040, meaning another 18.1 billion gallon estimated increase in water consumption.

Then there’s the delicate and often misunderstood interaction between the aquifer and the river. As much as 80 percent of the river flow in downtown during the summer is water from the aquifer. It’s not from Lake Coeur d’Alene, which drains to form the Spokane River. In fact, much of the water that drains out of Lake Coeur d’Alene in the summer is captured by several aquifer recharge areas before the river even makes its way to Spokane Valley.

It’s a fragile balance. Increasing demand on the aquifer plays a big role in Spokane River flows and inevitably ecosystem health.

A major discussion point in Avista’s dam relicensing process was over several hundred cubic feet per second of water in downtown Spokane. Not that much when you think that just a month ago the river was flowing at close to 40,000 cfs. But the importance of those few hundred feet are more than critical to fish and other aquatic life. It’s a matter of life and death.

To ensure that flows in the river not only meet or exceed what is needed for ecosystem health, but can also sustain regional growth and higher demand, the city of Spokane has come up with a new tiered water rate structure. A structure that in my opinion puts a value on our culture’s most valuable resource.

If pumping is increased by 18.1 billion gallons per year in Washington (2040 projected use) and 14 billion gallons per year in Idaho (2060 projection) the summertime impact on the river at Monroe Street will be a decrease in flow of more than 200 cfs. This increase in pumping will effectively negate the benefit gained by increasing the summertime release at Post Falls from 300 cfs to 600 cfs (the impact of the 2008 Avista license). The falls in downtown Spokane will effectively run dry again.

In order to accommodate the projected growth embodied in the 18.1 billion gallons per year increase in water consumption, we need to reduce our current 210–215 gallon per capita per day average water use to around 135 gallons per capita per day by 2040. This amount of residential water savings, on the order of 37 percent, assumes there will be no increase in water for other kinds (commercial or industrial) of development.

I don’t fault water use policies of the past that didn’t fully grasp the unique hydrology of our region, but I do fault those that think we can continue down the same path and expect the same results. Water is a premium, our region’s most valuable resource. The sooner we start treating it like the rare commodity it is, the sooner we’ll set ourselves up for success and economic opportunities in the future.

This a New West, not the Old West, and I’m proud of the city of Spokane for recognizing this challenge and this opportunity and putting value on the Spokane River and the health and sustainability of our community.