Will the Faucet Turn On? Water Conservation Strategies for Ramsey, Minnesota

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2017-2018 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Ramsey. Ramsey obtains its water supply exclusively from public and private ground water wells. The city’s soil is very sandy and drains quickly, creating a significant demand for water in summer months as homeowners and businesses irrigate their lawns and gardens. To reduce water demand and encourage water conservation practices, the City wanted to explore strategies for educating residents about the effects of excessive water use. Drawing on case studies and literature on best practices, students in Dr. Dan Milz’s Planning and Participation Processes class created a toolkit for City staff with recommendations for reducing household water use, outreach strategies to encourage household water conservation, a ‘water scorecard’ to help residents understand their personal water use, examples of successful water conservation programs, and potential partners and funding sources for the City of Ramsey to use in its outreach efforts. The students’ final report, poster, and scorecard are available.