No water, no horticulture

In 2003 the North American Horticultural Supply Association (NAHSA) formed a water committee to address water-related issues that affect our industry. The committee was formed in response to a severe drought that occurred in the Rocky Mountain states from the late 1990s to 2004.
 
The lack of water forced municipalities and water providers to exercise extreme measures. The horticulture industry took the hardest hit from these restrictions. Some municipalities banned the sale of flowers, trees and shrubs stating they required too much water to plant. The result was a downsizing of many businesses both in plant production and employees. Some businesses were forced to close. A similar scenario recently occurred in California and in some Southeast states.

Poor planning takes its toll
One reason water restrictions continue to be implemented is many municipalities have done a poor job of planning the expansion of their communities. Some only see the potential for increased tax revenues without giving little consideration to the allocation of valuable resources, like water. Unrestricted development has resulted in too many people and not enough water.

Water providers control the water
Water providers are the agencies that provide the storage, transfer, treatment and distribution of water to local communities. In some communities they provide the treatment of sewage and return water to the water grid.
     
In an Oct. 2, 2008, Rocky Mountain News article, the newspaper’s former political columnist Peter Blake discussed how water costs flow uphill. In Colorado, water providers are not under state or legislative orders. Water providers in all states are either quasi-government, city government or private enterprises like ditch companies.
 
Water prices are not affected by supply and demand. Water providers can ask consumers to conserve and then can raise prices. There are no volume discounts. The providers have the power to enact water restrictions for landscapes including which days water can be used, how long a zone can be watered, and most devastating is no watering of outdoor plant material at all.
 
Water providers can impose fines if outdoor watering is done on off-days or watering occurs too long per zone. These fines are significant. In Denver, water providers have their own enforcement officers who patrol neighborhoods looking for violators.
 
Many water providers strongly encourage xeriscaping which means no lawns and promoting the planting of native plant species. In Denver, citizens became more vigilant of water use after the 2003 drought. They decreased their water consumption by 20 percent, but water bills have increased by 35 percent during the past five years.
 
Water providers employ their own economics. They tend to raise rates even while demand drops. Many municipalities around the country have similar economics, rules and enforcement. This is possible because most urban areas have only one water provider. When it comes to municipal water, most users don’t have a choice. This gives most water providers an enormous amount of power since they own the infrastructure that delivers water to consumers.

Increasing demand for water
With the increase in agricultural crop production for biofuel, water demands have skyrocketed, putting more stress on the supply side. Agricultural demands versus urban demands are increasingly competing for a limited supply of water.
 
Government officials have done little to increase water storage with most efforts focusing on conservation, reuse and recycling. Eventually availability is going to be a major issue.
 
Since water is delivered to homes and businesses, it has been assumed that landscapes are a part of the public need. Water for drinking, food preparation and hygiene is considered necessary for survival. Water for landscaping is not. Since landscaping is viewed as a “luxury” water user, water providers have hit the horticulture industry with restrictions.
 
According to Denver Water, home landscapes are the largest user of water followed by agriculture. Agricultural production and food processing consume most of the fresh water.
 Most manufacturing industries, including steel, aluminum, plastics, fuels and wood products, require water during the production process. Many of these industries have formed politically powerful coalitions and associations to assure future water availability.

Lack of water-use data
The horticulture industry is a fragmented group of associations and businesses representing nursery, greenhouse, landscape, turf and allied suppliers. Due to the lack of information available about the horticulture industry, only estimates can be made in regards to its water consumption.
 
For example, if a municipal water provider claims that 75 percent of household water consumption is applied to landscapes, there is very little data available to dispute this claim. In California, the horticulture industry actually collects specific consumption data. Unfortunately, California water usage does not apply to other states.
 
North American Horticultural Supply Association’s (NAHSA) water committee has focused its efforts on:
 1. Collecting specific data related to water usage of horticultural products within the eight regions of the United States designated by USDA.
 2. Impact of the horticulture industry on society, such as benefits to cities, neighborhoods, parks and golf courses.
 3. The role the horticulture industry plays in the global theater. The committee will not focus on the cause of global warming, but will look at whether the horticulture industry is part of the solution to this problem. Solutions include the consumption of carbon dioxide gas by plants and turf and the impact of switching from traditional to xeriscape landscapes.
 
What the horticulture industry brings to society and the global theater is extremely important. Industries that demonstrate a positive benefit to society and the planet will be the ones that survive.
 
The NAHSA water committee is working with other associations (i.e., Irrigation Association) to form a coalition to address water issues related to the horticulture industry. There is a sense of urgency regarding water issues and the impact additional water restrictions and legislation could have on the horticulture industry.
 
Other industries are already organized or in the process of organizing to address water issues. A coalition of horticulture industry associations addressing these issues would provide a significant representation of resources both in numbers and dollars.
 

Ron Eberly is industry advocacy chairman, North American Horticultural Suppliers Association, (215) 564-3484; www.nahsa.org, and vice president, American Clay Works & Supply Co., (800) 873-2297; www.americanclayworks.com.