$ –> Water = Jobs

This just in from ACWA …

New Report Says Investing in Water Efficiency Boosts Jobs, Local Economies

Submitted by Lisa Lien-Mager on Wed, 01/04/2012 – 2:47pm

Investments in water use efficiency stimulate jobs and provide a boost for local economies, a new report by the Los Angeles-based Economic Roundtable says.
The report analyzed 53 recent water use efficiency projects in the Los Angeles area, including stormwater capture, water conservation, groundwater treatment / remediation and construction of water recycling facilities. It found that the $1.2 billion invested in the projects created a significant number of jobs and stimulated an additional $1.2 billion in indirect and induced sales.
According to the report, every $1 million invested in water efficiency-related projects creates 12.6 to 16.6 jobs in the Los Angeles economy and stimulates nearly $2 million in total sales. As a comparison, the report said, water use efficiency projects in Los Angeles stimulate more jobs per $1 million invested than motion picture and video production (8.3 jobs / $1 million invested) and housing construction (11.3 jobs / $1 million).
To maximize the benefits of investing in local water use efficiency, the report recommends that policy makers and stakeholders keep investments local and distribute funding over a number of diverse water use efficiency projects, as opposed to concentrating investments in a few massive projects.
“Local investments not only produce large multiplier effects where water users live and work, but also support better stewardship of this precious resource by residential and commercial water consumers,” the report notes. “Also, local investments return taxpayer dollars to the areas where they are generated.”
The full report is available here.