Drip irrigation not always a solution?

Source: WaterWeek Staff

Drip irrigation may not always save as much water as advertised, according to a new survey. Researchers report in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that an analysis of water conservation policies in the upper Rio Grande River basin shows that drip irrigation “reduces valuable return flows and limits aquifer recharge” and may increase water depletion. It also concludes that water conservation subsidies are unlikely to reduce water use under conditions that occur in many river basins, and that "achieving real water savings requires designing institutional, technical and accounting measures that accurately track and economically reward reduced water depletions."