Meters and Prices

This op/ed from Visalia (a farming community in a hot, dry place that's urbanized in recent years) fails to see what it's getting right:

the immediate problem [water shortages] must be addressed with voluntary conservation, because if that doesn't work, the only other response is forced rationing.

[snip]

At the same time, at least half of Visalia's homes do not have water meters. Universal water metering is the best strategy for keeping consumers aware of their water use and encouraging them to conserve.

So, there is a third option besides voluntary conservation and forced rationing, and that's charging more for water. The first step toward doing that is metering water, of course, which can cut use dramatically. If the reduction in demand is insufficient, raise prices.

Bottom Line: Water is no longer too cheap to meter, and -- even metered -- it's too scarce to sell cheaply.