Videos: How Should We Price Water?

Originally posted at the Public Policy Institute of California.
By Lori Pottinger.

Most of us probably know the average price for a bottle of water, but do you know how much you’re charged for water coming out of your tap? The price of water—which can have ripple effects throughout our communities, the economy, and the environment—may not be typical water-cooler conversation, but understanding it is essential to addressing key water-management challenges.

We interviewed Ken Baerenklau, a UC Riverside economist and adjunct fellow with the PPIC Water Policy Center, on the role of pricing to mitigate scarcity during droughts, and the need for fair and economically sensible prices. As Baerenklau notes, it can be hard to get pricing right—but critically important that we do. These short videos produced with Marjorie Gelin Goodwin offer an introduction to some key issues that drive the price of water.