2018 Reports

Denver, Seattle, Tucson: How Can Climate Research Be Useful for Urban Water Utility Operations?

Ferguson, Daniel B.; Woodhouse, Connie A.

This case study examines how municipal water utilities in Denver, Seattle, and Tucson collaborate with climate researchers to support water management under varying climatic and hydrological contexts. Each city relies on different water sources, surface water from multiple watersheds (Denver, Seattle) or groundwater supplemented by long-distance imports (Tucson), shaping the climate information needed for operational decisions. The study highlights that successful collaboration requires persistent, iterative interactions across the science–practice divide to align problem framing and solutions. By fostering mutual understanding and integrated problem-solving, these partnerships shrink the gap between research supply and demand while building long-term capacity for climate-informed urban water management.