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<br />. <br /> <br />oriented interests. Planners should be ready to handle plans <br /> <br /> <br />for more stringent standards, for public participation in plans <br /> <br /> <br />for wastewater treatment, and for demands on available funds for <br /> <br /> <br />what may be infeasible levels of quality. Industrial water quality <br /> <br /> <br />standards are likely to be enforced more vigorously than at present. <br /> <br /> <br />Local governments may be more active in encouraging improved water <br /> <br /> <br />quality since environment is likely to become a major local govern- <br /> <br /> <br />ment issue. Thus, there would be more need for planners to work <br /> <br /> <br />with local governments to define goals for water quality. <br /> <br />If the Nation develops the environmental preservation ethic, <br /> <br /> <br />then the concept of the environment as a common resource instead of <br /> <br /> <br />a source of wealth through exploitation will radically shift the <br /> <br /> <br />demand for higher water quality. This would logically accompany <br /> <br /> <br />such a shift in perception of the common good being a fUnction of <br /> <br /> <br />sharing what is produced rather than producing more so that every- <br /> <br /> <br />one may have more. Under such circumstances, the notion of main- <br /> <br /> <br />taining and enhancing water quality becomes more of an end in itself <br /> <br /> <br />than a simple conformance to a prescribed rule. Since there would <br /> <br /> <br />be little industrial or agricultural expansion, water quality should <br /> <br /> <br />improve given the environmental ethic. <br /> <br />CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING THE ALTERNATE FUTURES <br /> <br /> <br />Planning to sustain the quality of water in the South Platte <br /> <br /> <br />basin will be taxed most during a continuation of the recent high <br /> <br /> <br />rate of economic and population growth and during a widespread food <br /> <br /> <br />crisis. The sources of pollution during the scenarios mentioned <br /> <br /> <br />above would be quite opposite. In the sustained growth scenario, <br /> <br /> <br />pollution from silting, erosion, and industry will occur in the <br /> <br /> <br />urban areas; while in the food crisis scenario, pollution would <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />27 <br />