Valuing the Potential Benefits of Water Quality Improvements in Watersheds Affected by Non-Point Source Pollution

Abstract

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution has been identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "the nation's largest water quality problem". Urban development, septic systems, and agricultural operations have been identified as the major sources of diffuse pollution in surface and ground water bodies. In recent decades, urban and agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP) have been developed in several states to address agricultural water quality and water use impacts, including the reduction of nutrient loads to help meet water quality standards. Compliance with BMPs is associated with some costs to local governments, homeowners, and agricultural operations, but the improvements in water quality associated with BMP adoption are expected to yield significant benefits to society in the form of improved recreational opportunities, navigation, flood control, and ecosystem health. The development of sound policies and decision making processes require balancing the costs of BMP adoption to the agricultural operations with the social benefits to be derived from the improved water quality. In this paper we develop a benefits transfer model to provide estimates of the economic benefits of properly implemented and effective Best Management Practices (BMP) throughout the state of Florida. These benefit estimates can be used in a cost-benefit framework to determine the optimal level of BMP adoption throughout the state of Florida and provide a framework for other regions to estimate the potential benefits of BMP-mediated water quality improvements.

Influence Mechanisms of Rainfall and Terrain Characteristics on Total Nitrogen Losses from Regosol

“…With control of point source contamination, nonpoint source (NPS) contamination has become dominant cause of water contamination due to its multi-source, wide distribution, the difficulty of controlling it and so on [4][5][6]. Nowadays, identifying effect factors and their mechanisms of influence on NPS pollutant exports have become research hotspots in the field of NPS pollution control [7][8][9].…”

Estudo Sistemático sobre Poluição por Cargas Difusas em Bacias Urbanas

“…As formas de mitigação dos impactos demonstradas nos estudos realizados por Tafuri e Field (2011) e Alvarez et al (2016) indicam que a adoção do chamado Best Management Practices (BMP) se mostraram satisfatórias nos Estados Unidos. O BMP é a adoção de práticas sustentáveis visando a melhoria da qualidade da água incluindo a redução das cargas difusas.…”

Willingness to Pay for Enhanced Water Security in a Rapidly Developing Shale Gas Region in China

“…One of the most prominent uses of CV in water management assessments is shown by Bishop et al [25] who centred the valuation question on the value of recreation compared to hydropower supply. Several studies [26][27][28] systematically reviewed the use of CV in valuing water quality improvement, and other studies [29,30] found that water quantity also played a significant role in the WTP estimate. These and other CV studies not only prove the importance of water quality and quantity improvements for social welfare, but also defend the validity of using CV as a tool for the economic valuation of water.…”