Comments on: The Value of H2O: Online Debate at The Economist – Schedule and Opening Statements http://awramedia.org/mainblog/2008/09/30/the-value-of-h2o-online-debate-at-the-economist-schedule-and-opening-statements/ Thu, 10 May 2012 18:17:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: cheritycall http://awramedia.org/mainblog/2008/09/30/the-value-of-h2o-online-debate-at-the-economist-schedule-and-opening-statements/comment-page-1/#comment-5083 cheritycall Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:28:13 +0000 http://awramedia.org/mainblog/?p=96#comment-5083 Hi, Give something to help the hungry people in Africa or India, I made this blog about them: in http://tinyurl.com/556poc Hi, Give something to help the hungry people in Africa or India,
I made this blog about them:
in http://tinyurl.com/556poc

]]> By: Dr. R.N.Athavale http://awramedia.org/mainblog/2008/09/30/the-value-of-h2o-online-debate-at-the-economist-schedule-and-opening-statements/comment-page-1/#comment-4238 Dr. R.N.Athavale Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:28:54 +0000 http://awramedia.org/mainblog/?p=96#comment-4238 I would like to read the discussion so far and then contribute my views. I would like to read the discussion so far and then contribute my views.

]]> By: Bruce L. Cutright http://awramedia.org/mainblog/2008/09/30/the-value-of-h2o-online-debate-at-the-economist-schedule-and-opening-statements/comment-page-1/#comment-4072 Bruce L. Cutright Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:17:32 +0000 http://awramedia.org/mainblog/?p=96#comment-4072 The value of water is defined by its quality, location and timing. As the value of water increases, the supply dramatically increases, because the resources available to treat poor quality water will always increase sufficiently to ensure that some minimum level of high quality water is available, until the point is reached where the cost of treatment exceeds the cost of relocating the demand, and then the population, or need such as agriculture, disappears or is relocated to a more desirable location where sufficient water supply of the required quality is available. This is the link between quality and location. Timing is similar, but treatment costs are replaced or linked with storage costs, and as these two costs increase, a decision point is reached where the cost of supply, of the required quality, at the required location, for the required duration exceeds the cost of relocating the need, and then the demand disappears, either permanently or re-appears in a more desirable location. Therefore, the market value of water is highly variable. An alternative way of looking at the price of water is to look at the cost of damages caused by a lack of water management, or perhaps, look at the cost spent for water management structures such as dams, levees and flood management. Added into this should also be the costs of stormwater management and retention, irrigation and drainage canals and all water supply wells. I suggest water supply wells because any well provides water to a location that does not have access at that point or over all duration periods, although quality may not be a determining factor. Under these circumstances, the cost of an acre-foot of water is probably in the range of $4,000 to $6,000. However, these numbers are estimates only, and need to be reviewed and verified. The value of water is defined by its quality, location and timing. As the value of water increases, the supply dramatically increases, because the resources available to treat poor quality water will always increase sufficiently to ensure that some minimum level of high quality water is available, until the point is reached where the cost of treatment exceeds the cost of relocating the demand, and then the population, or need such as agriculture, disappears or is relocated to a more desirable location where sufficient water supply of the required quality is available. This is the link between quality and location. Timing is similar, but treatment costs are replaced or linked with storage costs, and as these two costs increase, a decision point is reached where the cost of supply, of the required quality, at the required location, for the required duration exceeds the cost of relocating the need, and then the demand disappears, either permanently or re-appears in a more desirable location. Therefore, the market value of water is highly variable.

An alternative way of looking at the price of water is to look at the cost of damages caused by a lack of water management, or perhaps, look at the cost spent for water management structures such as dams, levees and flood management. Added into this should also be the costs of stormwater management and retention, irrigation and drainage canals and all water supply wells. I suggest water supply wells because any well provides water to a location that does not have access at that point or over all duration periods, although quality may not be a determining factor. Under these circumstances, the cost of an acre-foot of water is probably in the range of $4,000 to $6,000. However, these numbers are estimates only, and need to be reviewed and verified.

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