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<br />. <br /> <br />industrialists and farmers to use more expensive techniques for <br /> <br /> <br />replacing water at the same quality it was taken out seems politically <br /> <br /> <br />unviable. Thus, planners would be in a quandary as to whether they <br /> <br /> <br />should expand plans or simply let natural forces clean up rivers. <br /> <br /> <br />On the whole, water quality could decrease, since there would be <br /> <br /> <br />silting from erosion and money would be lacking to process even <br /> <br /> <br />the small amount of industrial waste and agricultural runoff. <br /> <br />SUSTAIUED ENERGY CRISIS AND WATER QUALITY PLANNING <br /> <br /> <br />With a sustained energy crisis, economic conditions causing <br /> <br /> <br />water quality problems would tend to subside and the impacts on <br /> <br /> <br />planning would be that even fewer treatment plants would be needed <br /> <br /> <br />than are projected for a continually expanding economy. But since <br /> <br /> <br />water quality planning has been in a "catch up" mode for the last <br /> <br /> <br />several years, there would be reason to urge that the present plans <br /> <br /> <br />for new facilities be implemented to meet the presently legislated <br /> <br /> <br />standards. <br /> <br />If there were some Federal or market incentive for development <br /> <br /> <br />of the coal resources within the South Platte River basin, there <br /> <br /> <br />could be some deterioration of water quality due to runoff from <br /> <br /> <br />the mined areas and interruption of the water table. If the oil <br /> <br /> <br />shale and gasification projects presently underway on the western <br /> <br /> <br />slope of the Rockies reach industrial potential, there may be a <br /> <br /> <br />battle for water supply. Energy development is likely to affect <br /> <br /> <br />basin water quality indirectly by possible expansion of the indus- <br /> <br /> <br />trial and service sectors of the economy to accommodate their needs. <br /> <br />CONTROLLED GROWTH AND WATER QUALITY PLANNING . <br />With a controlled growth ethic, water quality planning may <br />take on special importance as one of a number of environmentally- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />26 <br />