166 Multi-Benefit Resources

Water Efficiency for Instream Flow: Making the Link in Practice

Author: Alliance for Water Efficiency, American Rivers, Environmental Law Institute (2011)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural efficiency, Delivery system efficiency, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water Conservation and Efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Demand reduction, In stream flows, Land and environment, Reputation, Risk and Resilience, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Water Efficiency for Instream Flow: Making the Link in Practice examines the potential for linking water efficiency efforts to improving instream flows within the Colorado River Basin. The report concludes that improving water efficiency can allow for population and economic growth without requiring a large investment in new or expanded water supplies or wastewater. It also concludes that environment and state regulatory requirements can drive water efficiency efforts. The report includes a qualitative discussion on the following benefits: reduced surface or groundwater withdrawals, operational flexibility for water utility, and instream flows.

Proposition 1 Stormwater Grant Program Guidelines

Author: California State Resources Water Quality Control Board (2015)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Conservation design, Constructed stormwater wetlands, Detention basin, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Embankment and horizontal levees, Flood Control, Infiltration basin, Infiltration or filtration, Low impact landscaping, Retention basin, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage, Storm drains and pipes

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Demand reduction, Educational opportunity, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, In stream flows, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Proposition 1 Stormwater Grant Program Guidelines, related to the Stormwater Grant Program (SWGP), establishes the process and criteria by which Proposition 1 funds are awarded in the state of California. The guidelines seek to encourage public agencies to develop multi-benefit stormwater management plans, as specified in the Stormwater Resource Planning Act (SB 985), that reframe stormwater projects, including dry-weather runoff as a water supply resource.

The Economic Benefits of Multipurpose Reservoirs in the United States-Federal Hydropower Fleet

Author: Bonnet et al., Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2015)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Economic valuation

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Surface Water Storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, End use energy, Energy, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Supply augmentation, Water Supply

The Economic Benefits of Multipurpose Reservoirs in the United States-Federal Hydropower Fleet estimates the economic benefits of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs with a focus on the Tennessee Valley Authority, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Bureau of Reclamation. The multipurposes are divided into six categories of federal uses: hydropower, flood control, navigation, recreation, water supply, and irrigation. The report provides the calculated percent of total benefits accrued within each category, with results showing that recreation possessed the largest overall benefit as defined by visitor days and daily spending.

Putting Green to Work: Economic Recovery Investments for Clean and Reliable Water

Author: American Rivers (2010)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Centralized wastewater treatment, Delivery system efficiency, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Flood Control, Infiltration or filtration, Land Management, On site nonpotable reuse, Retention basin, Riparian buffers, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage, Storm drains and pipes, Stream protection and restoration, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Wastewater Treatment, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse, Water Transfer, Wetland protection and restoration

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Ambient water quality, Demand reduction, Drinking water quality, Energy, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, In stream flows, Land and environment, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Urban heat island, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Putting Green to Work: Economic Recovery Investments for Clean and Reliable Water categorizes “green” and “bright green” projects that provide multiple environmental and economic benefits, including improved water quality and quantity, reduced runoff and flooding, groundwater recharge, improved habitats, reduced energy use, and overall water supply reliability. The report focuses primarily on green infrastructure and demand management projects, as well as leveraging natural capital for water management, including examples from specific states and cities with a focus on funding projects. The report provides a qualitative discussion of the multiple benefits.

Living Streets Economic Feasibility Project: Final Report

Author: Abdullah & Blyth, Heal the Bay, Climate Resolve, GreenLA Coalition (2016)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Economic valuation

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Conservation design, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Infiltration or filtration, Low impact landscaping, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Affordability, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Demand reduction, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, Local economy, People and Community, Recreation, Regulatory compliance, Reputation, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Urban heat island, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Living Streets Economic Feasibility Report presents an alternate, new paradigm to guide the future of street and sidewalk infrastructure design and creation for Los Angeles. The term they use for this new paradigm is “Living Streets”, and it incorporates green infrastructure and stormwater capture within street design to improve air quality, water quantity and quality, flooding, human health, and aesthetics within urban regions. The report presents the costs and benefits of Living Streets, and compares them to the costs and benefits of continuing with business as usual, as well as against what they call “Green Streets,” “Cool Streets,” and “Complete Streets.”

Water Storage Investment Program Technical Reference

Author: California Water Commission (2016)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Economic valuation

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Drywells, Flood Control, Groundwater extraction, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, Groundwater storage, Infiltration basins, Spreading basins, Surface Water Storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Demand reduction, Drinking water quality, Energy production, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, In stream flows, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Regulatory compliance, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Water Storage Investment Program Technical Reference details the methodology for quantifying the co-benefits or adverse impacts of water storage projects under California’s Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP). The report outlines methods for quantification of various co-benefits and adverse impacts, providing guidance on defining future site conditions, calculating physical changes, monetizing project benefits and costs, comparing benefits and costs, properly allocating costs to beneficiaries, determining cost-effectiveness and public-benefit ratio, and evaluating sources of uncertainty. Projects that quantify public benefits following these methodologies are eligible for California state bond funding to pay for the public benefits.

Berkeley Resilience Strategy

Author: City of Berkeley, 100 Resilient Cities, AECOM (2016)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Demand reduction, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

100 Resilient Cities is an organization working across the globe to help plan for more resilient and successful cities. The Resilience Framework guides users towards projects that provide overall system and infrastructure resilience, often including water systems and infrastructure. The report includes a case study on Berkeley, California’s goal of adapting to climate change through green infrastructure, diversifying their water supply, and sustainable landscapes. The Resilience Framework yields a qualitative measure of ‘city resilience’, defined as “the ability of the individuals, institutions, businesses, and systems within the community to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what chronic stress or acute shock it experiences.”

Central Valley Flood Protection Plan 2017 Update

Author: California Department of Water Resources (2017)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Land Management

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Agriculture, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Community resilience, Extreme events, Flood Control, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan asserts that institutional frameworks hinder implementation of multi-benefit actions and outlines a framework to facilitate design and construction of multi-benefit projects. The report organizes Design Within Reach (DWR) Flood Management programs with the flood management policy issues they address, as well as discusses multi-benefit improvements for ecosystem vitality for specific projects. It includes a qualitative discussion of multi-benefit projects, defining them as projects designed to reduce flood risk and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, as well as create additional public benefits such as sustaining agricultural production, improving water quality and water supply reliability, increasing groundwater recharge, supporting commercial fisheries, and providing public recreation and educational opportunities, or any combination thereof.

Using economic valuation techniques to inform water resources management: A survey and critical appraisal of available techniques and an application

Author: Birol, Karousakis, & Koundouri, (2006)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Economic valuation

Availability: Paywall

Water Management Strategies: Land Management

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Ambient water quality, Habitat and biodiversity, In stream flows, Land and environment, Local economy, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply

Using economic valuation techniques to inform water resources management presents a non-technical introduction to the economic valuation techniques of changes in the quantity and quality of environmental resources, with a specific focus on water. This report includes dozens of relevant articles that provide cost and benefit estimates of various aspects of water resources (e.g. environmental services). It also provides a case study applying the economic valuation techniques to the Cheimaditida wetland in Greece.

Life-cycle cost-benefit analysis of extensive vegetated roof systems

Author: Carter & Keeler, (2008)
Geography: Southern U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Economic valuation

Availability: Paywall

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Runoff storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Affordability, Air quality, End use energy, Energy, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Total flood volume, Urban heat island

Life-cycle cost-benefit analysis of extensive vegetated roof systems assesses the benefits and costs of green roofs from a pilot study in Athens, Georgia, including private and social benefits. The public benefits identified were avoided best management practice costs, energy savings, and air quality, and the private benefits identified were stormwater utility fee credits, building energy savings, and air quality. The costs identified in the study included lifetime construction and maintenance. The study revealed that green roofs were 10-14% more expensive than conventional counterparts, and therefore, recommended that a broader range of positive social benefits be included in the analysis in order to outweigh the higher construction costs and encourage the construction of green roofs.

California Water Plan, Update 2009, Volume 2: Resource Management Strategies

Author: California Department of Water Resources (2009)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural efficiency, Agricultural land management, Brackish desalination, Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Centralized wastewater treatment, Delivery system efficiency, Desalination, Direct potable reuse, Drywells, Groundwater extraction, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, Groundwater storage, Indirect potable reuse, Land Management, Recharge area protection, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers, Seawater desalination, Spreading basins, Storm drains and pipes, Stream protection and restoration, Surface Water Storage, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Wastewater Treatment, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse, Water Transfer, Wetland protection and restoration

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Demand reduction, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The California Water Plan presents a guide on water management strategies that can provide multiple benefits both regionally and statewide in California. The management strategies are organized by goals, such as reducing water demand, improving operational efficiency, or improving water quality, and the benefits are categorized under water supply, drought preparedness, water quality, operational flexibility, flood impacts, environmental benefits, energy benefits, recreation, and groundwater overdraft risk. The report also includes guidance on the quantitative analysis of multiple benefits for policymakers and water resource managers.

Beyond the Source: The environmental, economic and community benefits of source water protection

Author: Abell et al., The Nature Conservancy (2017)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural land management, Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Constructed stormwater wetlands, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Flood Control, Land Management, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers, Wetland protection

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Agriculture, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Community resilience, Extreme events, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, System resilience, Water quality, Water supply reliability

Beyond the Source is an in-depth, global study conducted by the Nature Conservancy on source water protection projects. In the report these projects are described as “nature-based solutions” that can improve water quality and quantity. Projects include targeted land protection, revegetation, riparian restoration, agricultural best management practices, ranching best management practices, fire risk management, wetland restoration and creation, and road management. The report provides a qualitative framework as well as quantitative guidance for calculating the multiple benefits.

Banking on Green: A Look at How Green Infrastructure Can Save Municipalities Money and Provide Economic Benefits Community-wide

Author: American Rivers, the Water Environment Federation, the American Society of Landscape Architects, ECONorthwest (2012)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Conservation design, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Infiltration or filtration, Low impact landscaping, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Demand reduction, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Extreme events, Flooding, Health and safety, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Urban heat island, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Banking on Green provides a business case for green infrastructure practices in the United States. Benefits cited within the report include reduced stormwater runoff, reduced energy costs, reduced impacts of flooding, improvements in public health, and reduced infrastructure costs. Within the report, it is argued that green infrastructure can blend seamlessly with traditional grey infrastructure, and make communities more resilient in the face of extreme events and climate change. The report provides case studies of successful green infrastructure projects across the United States, and a qualitative discussion on the multiple benefits.

A framework for assessing urban greenery’s effects and valuing its ecosystem services

Author: Andersson-Sköld et al., (2018)
Geography: Outside U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Low impact landscaping

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Energy, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Secondary energy demand, Supply augmentation, Water Supply

A framework for assessing urban greenery’s effects and valuing its ecosystem services identifies biophysical structure components of urban green space, the associated function, an indicator, effectivity factor, and ecosystem services associated. The framework compares the perceived value of the ecosystem service to other potential services (i.e., public transport, housing, or culture, compared to biodiversity, stormwater flood risk, and perceived well being). The article includes a case study in which the framework was applied to urban areas in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Review of IRWM Planning and Implementation in California

Author: California Department of Water Resources (2015)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Desalination, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Environmental Remediation, Groundwater Management, Land Management, Wastewater Treatment, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse, Water Transfer

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Community resilience, Drinking water quality, Educational opportunity, Flood Control, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Review of IRWM Planning and Implementation in California presents an assessment of Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) planning and implementation practices that supports California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) Strategic Plan. DWR aims to work with regions in California to develop Integrated Regional Water Management Plans (IRWMPs) and prioritize proposals for funding that include multiple benefit projects.

Adapting to Change: Utility Systems and Declining Flows

Author: California Urban Water Agencies (2017)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Centralized wastewater treatment, Direct potable reuse, Flood Control, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, On site nonpotable reuse, Storm drains and pipes, Urban and industrial nonpotable reuse, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Wastewater Treatment, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Demand reduction, Drinking water quality, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Extreme events, In stream flows, Land and environment, Regulatory compliance, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Adapting to Change: Utility Systems and Declining Flows explores the consequences of reduced indoor flows related to conservation on urban water supply systems in California. The report illustrates that demand management through water use efficiency can have many co-benefits including improved drought resilience, improved in-stream flows, reduced or deferred cost of infrastructure, and reduced energy costs; declining flows, however, can negatively impact water distribution, conveyance, wastewater treatment, and recycled water policy. Specific examples and details are presented within the report, including survey and interview data.