PAS REPORT 5 8 8 PLANNERS AND WATER William Cesanek, AICP, Vicki Elmer, PHD, and Jennifer Graeff, AICP ABOUT THE AUTHORS APA RESEARCH MISSION William (Bill) Cesanek, aicp, is vice president and practice APA conducts applied, policy-relevant research that leader for urban planning at CDM Smith, a global infrastructure advances the state of the art in planning practice. and environmental services consultancy. He brings more than APA’s National Centers for Planning—the Green 30 years of experience to his work, advancing interdisciplinary Communities Center, the Hazards Planning Center, approaches to urban and infrastructure planning and water and the Planning and Community Health Center— resource management. In addition to working closely with ma- guide and advance a research directive that address- jor cities on projects such as Philadelphia’s “Green City Clean es important societal issues. APA’s research, educa- Waters” program, Cesanek also served as chair of the American tion, and advocacy programs help planners create Planning Association’s Water Task Force and Water Working communities of lasting value by developing and dis- Group, and he is an adjunct professor in the Bloustein Graduate seminating information, tools, and applications for School of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers University, teach- built and natural environments. ing sustainable infrastructure planning. Vicki Elmer, phd, was an adjunct professor and the director of the Oregon Leadership in Sustainability graduate program Since 1949, APA’s Planning Advisory Service has provided planners with at the University of Oregon before she retired. Prior she taught expert research, authoritative information on best practices and innovative sustainable water and infrastructure policy at the University of solutions, and practical tools to help them manage on-the-job challenges. APA California–Berkeley’s Department of City and Regional Plan- membership includes access to all PAS publications, including PAS Reports, ning for 10 years. Elmer was the planning director as well as PAS Memo, and PAS QuickNotes. Learn more at www.planning.org/pas/. the public works director in Berkeley, California, before serv- ing as city manager in Eugene, Oregon. Her book, Infrastructure James M. Drinan, jd, Chief Executive Officer; David Rouse, faicp, Director Planning and Finance, was published by Routledge in 2013 (with of Research; Meghan Stromberg, Editor in Chief; Ann F. Dillemuth, aicp, Adam Leigland). Her BA is from the University of Michigan Editor. (1964); she received her MS from Columbia University (1970) and her PhD from the University of California (1991) in city and PAS Reports are produced in the Research Department of APA. regional planning. For recipients of print editions of PAS Reports, replacements for miss- Jennifer Graeff, aicp, coordinates public engagement at the New ing and damaged print issues may be obtained by contacting Customer York City Department of Parks & Recreation, where she works on Service, American Planning Association, 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite developing engagement and outreach strategies for the depart- 1200, Chicago, IL 60601 (312-431-9100 or [email protected]) ment and communities throughout New York City. Previously, within 90 days of the publication date. Graeff was the associate director of international partnerships at the American Planning Association (APA). She managed many © August 2017 by the American Planning Association, 205 N. Michigan of APA’s international programs, including APA’s Energy and Ave., Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60601–5927. The American Planning Climate Partnership of the Americas program, which helped Association also has offices at 1030 15th St., NW, Suite 750 West, build planning capacity throughout Latin America, and APA’s Washington, DC 20005–1503. partnership with the Netherlands, which opened educational opportunities to learn about Dutch water management. Graeff Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of material holds a master of science in urban planning and a master of in- reproduced in this report. Any omissions will be rectified in subsequent ternational affairs, both from Columbia University. printings if notice is given to the publishers. ISBN: 978-1-61190-196-2 ON THE COVER E-mail: [email protected] Fox River at Geneva Dam, Geneva, Illinois (Jennifer Henaghan) TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 CHAPTER 1 PLANNING FOR WATER: AN INTRODUCTION 12 APA Survey of Planners 16 About This Report 17 CHAPTER 2 ONE WATER 20 What Is One Water? 21 Why Is One Water Important to Planners? 25 How Can Planners Apply One Water in Their Work? 27 Conclusion 30 CHAPTER 3 WATER BASICS 32 The Water Cycle 33 Water Supply 33 Wastewater 38 Stormwater 43 Conclusion 46 CHAPTER 4 WATER SYSTEM CHALLENGES AND FACTORS FOR CHANGE 48 Emerging Drivers of Change in Water Management 49 Challenges to Water Management 53 Additional Impacts of the Changing Context for Water 59 Conclusion 64 CHAPTER 5 PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER: RECOMMENDED PRACTICES 66 Water and the Five Strategic Points of Intervention 67 Water in the Context of Sustaining Places 69 Recommended Practices 73 One Water Examples 87 Conclusion 91 CHAPTER 6 THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF WATER 94 The Price and Cost of Water 95 Pricing and Rate Structures for Water Systems 96 Capital Improvement Strategies 101 Funding for Water System Innovation 103 Water Markets and Water Rights 105 How Planners Can Get More Involved 107 Conclusion 109 CHAPTER 7 PLANNING FOR WATER: THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE 110 Key Questions for the Planning Profession 111 Partnerships and Conversations 113 Water Education for Planners 114 APA’s Water and Planning Network 116 Conclusion 116 APPENDIX A RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE FOR WATER RESOURCES PLANNING 118 APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF WATER TERMS 125 REFERENCES 136 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 149 PLANNERS AND WATER PAS 588, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Water is essential for human life. From the beginning of civilization, human beings have devised ways to ensure that water is available when and where it is needed, as well as ways of addressing wastewater and of dealing with storms and flooding. Historically, the work of land-use planners has not ex- to meet its members’ needs. This report (1) describes the in- tended to water resource management. We have relied upon tegrated approach to planning and water resource manage- water utilities, public water departments, and the engineer- ment known as the One Water approach, (2) provides foun- ing community to deliver and manage the supply of water dational concepts that are commonplace in water disciplines, for cities and towns and to provide wastewater collection and (3) lays out water issues and challenges facing planners, and treatment. While planners have become more involved in (4) presents best practices, case studies, and practical infor- floodplain management and green infrastructure provision mation that planners can apply and integrate into their work. in recent years, most planners do not routinely work with wa- ter service or utility professionals. For these reasons, land-use planners have not needed to know much about water science, ONE WATER water infrastructure, and water resource management. Water resource issues are now recognized to be highly Planners and water professionals are developing a postindus- interrelated with land development. Population and employ- trial paradigm to replace the top-down, highly engineered, ment growth have placed increased demands on often scarce siloed water service systems of the industrial past and our water supplies. Pollution and waste disposal practices have di- legacy infrastructure. One Water is based upon the idea that minished the quality and availability of water. There is greater all water within a watershed is hydrologically interconnected recognition of the need to preserve water for ecological pur- and is most effectively and sustainably managed using an poses. And drinking water regulations require that cleaner integrated approach. One Water advances the rationale for water be delivered to customers even as the quality of many managing water supply, wastewater, and stormwater as one sources declines. In addition, emerging issues such as climate resource—because that is how it exists in nature. The ben- change, urban population growth, and the challenges posed efits of One Water include improved resource sustainability by our aging industrial-era water service systems have given (greater reliability, security, and resilience), conservation of rise to the demand for new solutions for urban water services. natural waters and related ecosystems, and flood avoidance. Water professionals are beginning to realize that plan- One Water management is a foundational element of the ning water services should be better integrated with all lev- American Planning Association’s Policy Guide on Water. els of land-use planning. Many forward-thinking land-use One Water strategies highlight the natural interconnect- planners, urban designers, and architects are developing edness of all water and present planning and management new planning practices in concert with local utilities, water approaches that are based on integrated systems analysis. The engineers, and landscape architects. This means that plan- more planners can factor the many dimensions of the natural ners must be prepared to work more often, and more closely, and built environment into their evaluations and visions for with professionals in the local