​In 2025, the Northwest Water Planning Alliance (NWPA) continued to collaboratively plan for and advance solutions for water supply challenges. From continuing to convene the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) as a forum for elected officials, utility and resource managers, and others to learn about the latest water supply research and discuss its implications, to developing actionable recommendations for the Executive Committee (EC), the NWPA strengthened the region’s capacity to plan for a sustainable water future. As the region looks to 2026, this year’s progress provides a solid foundation for communities to implement local water sustainability actions.

How can the price of water in your community be changed to promote water conservation? How can municipalities price water to keep basic needs and services affordable for all residents while promoting reduced use? And what are the long-term benefits for the municipality?
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What is conservation pricing?
Conservation pricing is water rate structures that motivate consumers to use water efficiently. These structures come in many forms, such as uniform rates, tiered rates, seasonal rates, and water budget-based rates. For all of these rate structures, wasteful or inefficient water use is more costly for customers than using only what they really need for drinking, cooking, sanitation, and cleaning.