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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />d <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />There are many potential economic benefits, in addition to <br /> <br /> <br />new uses, from the increased availability of water. For example, <br /> <br />reducing demands through more efficient use can stretch supplies <br />to meet existing needs and thereby reduce or delay capital require- <br /> <br />ments for new development. The construction of a new dam and <br /> <br />reservoir may be put off until economic conditions are more <br /> <br />favorable. Similarly, more efficient use can reduce or delay <br /> <br />costs related to water supply treatment, and at the other end, <br /> <br />wastewater treatment. Further, water conservation often results <br /> <br />in energy savings. <br /> <br />More efficient use may also have many environmental benefits. <br /> <br />For instance, non-point source pollution problems from agricultural <br /> <br />runoff and leaching of fertilizers and pesticides can be alleviated, <br /> <br />desirable minimum instream flows can be maintained, land subsidence <br /> <br />related to ground water withdrawals can be stopped, and salt water <br /> <br />intrusion and salinity problems may be reversed or mitigated. <br /> <br />On the other hand, water conservation is not without its <br /> <br />limit~tions. As previously mentioned, the primary benefit of <br /> <br />conservation, water savings, may only be illusory. Simply <br /> <br />conserving water at one point in the hydrologic cycle does not <br /> <br />necessarily mean there will be a proportionate increase in the <br /> <br />quantity of water available for use elsewhere. <br /> <br />Another potential problem relates to dependable water supply <br /> <br />management. A dependable water supply includes some safety margin <br /> <br />~ <br />