When water has a price, users appreciate its value and manage the supply better. That was true in the examples my co-authors and I cited in our recent Harvard Business Review article on non-profits, and it should hold true for water usage in the Western United States. To avoid the tragedy of the commons that increasingly has defined water usage in Western states, we need to fundamentally shift behavior. This article lays out a water tax as one option and highlights how changing the price of water can lead to beneficial behavioral changes.
Water rights — and responsibilities: A use tax would benefit Whatcom farmers | Cascadia Daily News