The Water Supply Is Fine: Decision-Maker Perceptions Of Water Quantity And Supply-Side Management

Years of research have called for more science to be integrated into water management decisions and for a shift from supply-side to demand-side management; yet, there remains a strong emphasis on supply-side approaches and in many areas limited attention to hydrological data. A survey and interviews with decision-makers in western North Carolina reveal that there is only low-level concern about water quantity, and this drives a continued emphasis on supply-side management and no perceived need for hydrological data. The historical realities of low demand and abundant water have generated a perception of ‘water supply’ as disconnected from physical, hydrological systems and allowed for ad hoc decision-making processes to prevail. The lack of well-established processes may, ironically, provide significant opportunities for employing collaboration among researchers and decision-makers to develop policies and processes that integrate data into making water management decisions and thus prompt increased attention to water demand.