Reducing Water Use on Twin Cities Lawns through Assessment, Research, and Demonstration
The Metropolitan Council, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, is evaluating outdoor water use in the Twin Cities metro region - a subject which has come under the spotlight recently due to concerns related to water quality and quantity issues. In the Twin Cities, 20% of all treated drinking water is used outdoors, with a majority of this being used on lawns and landscapes. The goal of this proposal is to reduce water use in the home landscape by conducting assessments, research, and demonstration around the smart use of irrigation.
Nationally, water use in the home landscape accounts for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly nine billion gallons per day (EPA, 2013). Lawns are the single largest irrigated area in the United States, accounting for over 40 million irrigated acres, or four times the irrigated acreage of corn (Milesi et al. 2005). In the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA), approximately 20 percent of treated drinking water is used outdoors (City of Minnetonka, 2012), and summer water use is nearly three times greater on average than winter use (Metropolitan Council, 2014).
The objectives of this project are:
1) Assess lawns in the TCMA to determine water use patterns, irrigation system efficiencies, age of irrigation systems, acres of irrigated lawns, and general lawn characteristics
2) Use data generated in Objective 1 to inform research and demonstration projects related to in-ground irrigation system technologies in urban settings
$975,000 the first year and $975,000 the second year are to implement projects that address emerging drinking water supply threats, provide cost-effective regional solutions, leverage interjurisdictional coordination, support local implementation of water supply reliability projects, and prevent degradation of groundwater resources in the metropolitan area. These projects will provide to communities:
- potential solutions to leverage regional water use through utilization of surface water, storm water, wastewater, and groundwater;
- an analysis of infrastructure requirements for different alternatives;
- development of planning level cost estimates, including capital cost and operation cost;
- identification of funding mechanisms and an equitable cost-sharing structure for regionally beneficial water supply development projects; and
- development of subregional groundwater models.
The proposed outcomes including providing information and demostration projects that will promote reduced outdoor water use in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Outcomes will be reported at project completion. Materials developed so far include community outreach materials, survey results, and studies available on the Metropolitan Council website at https://metrocouncil.org/Wastewater-Water/Planning/Water-Supply-Planning/Studies-Projects-Workgroups-(1)/Ongoing-Studies-Projects/Twin-Cities-Lawn-Irrigation-Efficiency-Study.aspx.
$975,000 the first year and $975,000 the second year are to implement projects that address emerging drinking water supply threats, provide cost-effective regional solutions, leverage interjurisdictional coordination, support local implementation of water supply reliability projects, and prevent degradation of groundwater resources in the metropolitan area. These projects will provide to communities:
- potential solutions to leverage regional water use through utilization of surface water, storm water, wastewater, and groundwater;
- an analysis of infrastructure requirements for different alternatives;
- development of planning level cost estimates, including capital cost and operation cost;
- identification of funding mechanisms and an equitable cost-sharing structure for regionally beneficial water supply development projects; and
- development of subregional groundwater models.
See Fiscal Year 2016 Proposed Measurable Outcomes.
See Fiscal Year 2016 Measurable Outcomes.
$975,000 the first year and $975,000 the second year are to implement projects that address emerging drinking water supply threats, provide cost-effective regional solutions, leverage interjurisdictional coordination, support local implementation of water supply reliability projects, and prevent degradation of groundwater resources in the metropolitan area. These projects will provide to communities:
- potential solutions to leverage regional water use through utilization of surface water, storm water, wastewater, and groundwater;
- an analysis of infrastructure requirements for different alternatives;
- development of planning level cost estimates, including capital cost and operation cost;
- identification of funding mechanisms and an equitable cost-sharing structure for regionally beneficial water supply development projects; and
- development of subregional groundwater models.
See Fiscal Year 2016 Proposed Measurable Outcomes.
See Fiscal Year 2016 Measurable Outcomes.
$975,000 the first year and $975,000 the second year are to implement projects that address emerging drinking water supply threats, provide cost-effective regional solutions, leverage interjurisdictional coordination, support local implementation of water supply reliability projects, and prevent degradation of groundwater resources in the metropolitan area. These projects will provide to communities:
- potential solutions to leverage regional water use through utilization of surface water, storm water, wastewater, and groundwater;
- an analysis of infrastructure requirements for different alternatives;
- development of planning level cost estimates, including capital cost and operation cost;
- identification of funding mechanisms and an equitable cost-sharing structure for regionally beneficial water supply development projects; and
- development of subregional groundwater models.
See Fiscal Year 2016 Proposed Measurable Outcomes.
See Fiscal Year 2016 Measurable Outcomes.