Water utilities should change pricing to curb use, says survey

Water utilities should adopt pricing structures that encourage consumers to curb water use in order to meet demand that industry leaders say may outstrip supply by 2030, according to a survey by Oracle Corp. (ORCL)

The survey of 244 senior water utility executives found wasteful consumer behavior to be the biggest barrier in meeting rising demand that’s also driven by growing populations and climate change, Oracle said in the report released today.

The study showed 49 percent of the respondents believe pricing structures need changing to prompt consumers to conserve water while 38 percent said prices should be held down to increase access to the resource, according to the study conducted by the EIU.