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Wave of the Future: The Case for Smarter Water

Author

Listed:
  • Steven Renzetti

    (Brock University)

Abstract

The current state of municipal water pricing in Canada is significantly flawed, with costs that include underfunded water agencies, aging infrastructure and excessive consumption. Reforms are required, including the expanded use of water meters and seasonal surcharges that better reflect costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Renzetti, 2009. "Wave of the Future: The Case for Smarter Water," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 281, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdh:commen:281
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    File URL: https://www.cdhowe.org/public-policy-research/wave-future-case-smarter-water-policy
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. Quentin Grafton & Tom Kompas, 2007. "Pricing Sydney water ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 51(3), pages 227-241, September.
    2. Alexandre Laurin & Colin Busby & Benjamin Dachis, 2009. "Out on a Limb: Assessing the Fiscal Sustainability and Effectiveness of the 2009 Federal Budget," e-briefs 72, C.D. Howe Institute.
    3. William B.P. Robson, 2009. "Boomer Bulge: Dealing with the Stress of Demographic Change on Government Budgets in Canada," e-briefs 71, C.D. Howe Institute.
    4. Robert A. Collinge, 1994. "Transferable Rate Entitlements: the Overlooked Opportunity in Municipal Water Pricing," Public Finance Review, , vol. 22(1), pages 46-64, January.
    5. Jasper M. Dalhuisen & Raymond J. G. M. Florax & JHenri L. F. de Groot & Peter Nijkamp, 2003. "Price and Income Elasticities of Residential Water Demand: A Meta-Analysis," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 79(2), pages 292-308.
    6. William B.P. Robson & Alexandre Laurin & Finn Poschmann, 2009. "Lasting Bang for the Stimulus Buck: Priorities for the 2009 Federal Budget," e-briefs 70, C.D. Howe Institute.
    7. Renzetti, Steven, 1992. "Evaluating the welfare effects of reforming municipal water prices," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 147-163, March.
    8. Diane Dupont & Steven Renzetti, 2001. "The Role of Water in Manufacturing," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 18(4), pages 411-432, April.
    9. Brown,Stephen J. & Sibley,David Sumner, 1986. "The Theory of Public Utility Pricing," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521314008, November.
    10. Mansur, Erin T. & Olmstead, Sheila M., 2012. "The value of scarce water: Measuring the inefficiency of municipal regulations," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 332-346.
    11. Michael Parkin, 2009. "What is the Ideal Monetary Policy Regime? Improving the Bank of Canada's Inflation-targeting Program," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 279, January.
    12. Renwick, Mary E. & Green, Richard D., 2000. "Do Residential Water Demand Side Management Policies Measure Up? An Analysis of Eight California Water Agencies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 37-55, July.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nicholas Rivers & Steven Groves, 2013. "The Welfare Impact of Self-supplied Water Pricing in Canada: A Computable General Equilibrium Assessment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 55(3), pages 419-445, July.
    2. Chu, Long & Grafton, R.Quentin, 2020. "Water pricing and the value-add of irrigation water in Vietnam: Insights from a crop choice model fitted to a national household survey," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    3. Long Chu & R. Quentin Grafton, 2019. "Policy Note: "Short-term Pain for Long-term Gain: Urban Water Pricing and the Risk-adjusted User Cost"," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(02), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Jordi Honey-Rosés & Claudio Pareja, 2019. "Metrics and Methods for Comparing Water Utility Rate Structures," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(02), pages 1-31, April.
    5. David B. Brooks & Carol Maas & Oliver M. Brandes & Laura Brandes, 2015. "Applying water soft path analysis in small urban areas: four Canadian case studies," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 750-764, December.
    6. Ben Dachis, 2016. "Getting More Buildings for our Bucks: Canadian Infrastructure Policy in 2016," e-briefs 225, C.D. Howe Institute.
    7. Elizabeth Brubaker, 2011. "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Alternative Financing and Delivery of Water and Wastewater Services," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 330, May.
    8. Diane P. Dupont, 2019. "Editorial: Special Issue in Honour of Dr. Steven Renzetti," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(02), pages 1-10, April.
    9. James P. Bruce, 2011. "Protecting Groundwater: The Invisible and Vital Resource," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 136, February.
    10. Rust, Steven & Silberberg, Ben & Turner, Emma & Sharp, Basil, 2020. "Investigating the value of keeping options open for water infrastructure in the Lower Hunter, New South Wales," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. James I. Price & Patrick R. Lloyd-Smith & Diane P. Dupont & Wiktor L. Adamowicz, 2019. "Floods and Water Service Disruptions: Eliciting Willingness-to-Pay for Public Utility Pricing and Infrastructure Decisions," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(02), pages 1-20, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    growth; innovation; energy; environment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities

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