• Educate yourself on water-use issues—learn all you can, and then educate others, including the ultimate decision-makers.
• Get into the game—attend public meetings or spend time with individual water policy officials in your area. Decision makers want—and value—your input. Don’t wait until there is a crisis.

Find Out How Decisions Are Made

Do a little legwork to find out what infrastructure is already in place. Find out…

• what laws determine who has access to water and how decisions are made
• which group has ultimate authority to make and enforce water-use policies
• what process is used to allocate, reallocate, price or control water use
• what are the specific requirements, if any, to attend meetings and receive notices
• which groups control fresh and recycled water. (Recycled water will play an increasingly significant role in our overall water supply. Knowing who administers it—and how—is vitally important.)

• What group controls the area’s water? Is it local, state, regional or national? Is it an elected or appointed group? Is it a for-profit or not-for-profit monopoly that is either public or quasi-public?
• Are the visible “decision makers” elected, appointed or hired to serve on the controlling group?
• Who are the “promoters” that quietly, but effectively, influence the initiation or result of water policies?
• Who are your allies? Can they be called upon to assist when needed? Could they include other green industry professionals, gardening and homeowner associations
  or the media?
• Who are your “opponents?” Do they include anti-growth advocates or extreme environmentalists? Could they be water regulators, land developers or financial institutions that support severe landscape water restrictions as a means to expand their own market interests?
• Who are the most credible or expert “witnesses” that can help support your position? Do you have access to university researchers or industry personnel who can independently substantiate your claims and provide additional insights or scientific documentation?

• Develop a working “radar” that will alert you in advance of possible water decision movements. Begin by requesting advanced agendas, attending meetings, reading newspapers and following any mini-trends that relate to weather conditions, construction or infrastructure breakdowns.
• Recognize the value of being “first” or “last” in the decision-making process. People tend to have better recall of, and are more influenced by, the first or last things they hear or see. If you have an opportunity, be the first to raise an issue, offer a solution, write or speak on an important issue. Failing that, work toward being the last panelist, the last word, the final authority.

Understand the Specifics of Current Water Issues

• Analyze the current circumstances by determining if the actions under consideration are for a crisis situation, long-term problems or short-term conditions with long-term consequences.
• Familiarize yourself with decision-making timetables, especially those relating to meeting schedules and decision deadlines. Keep in mind that some decisions are made before the meeting ever begins.
• Determine the scope of the problem so you can be prepared to offer suitable solutions. A serious but short-lived emergency requires a different approach than a long-term problem.
• Stay current on all water users, including agricultural, industrial, business and residential. Gather facts about the water use by each segment. If you do not have figures readily available, you may be able to get them from the water-governing group. Continue to probe for more details, and critically examine the data you are given to ensure that it truly reports what it implies and that the “facts” are properly used.
• Be prepared to address outdoor water use by having scientifically documented information that relates to the actual plant need vs. common watering practices. Ensure that comparisons between plant groups are based on science, not anecdotal observations.
• Assemble information about the environmental benefits of landscape and outdoor water use. Prepare to report on the many aesthetic, functional and recreational benefits—as well as the economic impact of individual landscapes that can be lost if they are not maintained at a survival level.
• Document the economic impact of landscaping with figures from your own operation (e.g., number of employees, payroll, taxes and purchases) as well as related statistics for such areas as sports fields and parks, golf courses and nursery and garden centers.

Offer Practical Solutions

• Pre-crisis planning is the most effective approach because it allows for proactive initiatives and a longer lead-time for implementation. If, for example, the current water delivery system is out dated or undersized for the growing population, it may take years and even voter-approved authority to improve or expand the system.
• Stepped or phased-in water-use restrictions can be developed in non-crisis times, with the pubic and businesses informed of each phase so they can plan and respond appropriately.
• Consumer education programs that teach indoor and outdoor water conservation techniques can be very helpful. Stay up-to-date and share your knowledge of new water-saving and efficiency-improving techniques. If funding is not available from one source, a coalition of businesses, civic organizations and governmental groups could form.
• Water allocation budgets that fix amounts, not prescribed, or prohibit water use allow individuals to make personal choices. Mandated or prohibited water-use regulations take away personal freedoms.
• “Block water” pricing increases the cost for every X-gallons of water at a higher rate than the previous block. The rate of increase between blocks can also rise with usage. This pricing elasticity raises individual awareness of water use and results in conservation, while maintaining personal choice.