OCEAN is an online resources of the Building Codes Assistance Project. Here they provide a case study of the work happening in San Antonio. On March 12, 2009, the San Antonio City Council voted to approve and adopt a new Sustainable Buildings Ordinance that increases the energy efficiency of buildings by 15% more than the existing San Antonio and Texas state energy codes. This measure incorporated water conservation and other green building elements for all new construction, additions and substantial renovations in the city. The ordinance will make San Antonio the third major city to adopt advanced energy codes in Texas, joining Austin and Houston. The new ordinance will go into effect January 1, 2010, and mark a significant collaborative effort by many stakeholders.

The goal of the Reuse Roadmap is to develop a high-level approach to help guide utilities and industry decision-makers in issues to address when considering water reuse Like the Energy and Nutrients roadmaps, the Water Reuse roadmap is brief and high level to be accessible to all types of stakeholders, including public officials, utility managers, operators, engineers, and regulators The roadmap will not "reinvent the wheel," with all of the great technical resources available. Rather, the focus will be to help decision-makers to quickly understand the strategic issues inherent in a water reuse effort

Tucson, AZ has been pairing water conservation and development of new regional partnerships with Phoenix to source water sustainably in a drought-stricken area.

Powerpoint outlining the city of Philadelphia's approach to adapting to modern water policies and actions to encourage innovation and sustainable growth.

Climate change is happening. Past greenhouse gas emissions have committed us to decades of rising temperatures and seas. Recent studies, factoring in ice-sheet melt, estimate that we may experience an average of up to 6 feet of sea-level rise across the globe over the next century. The potential physical and fiscal impacts of sea-level rise (SLR) are stark. We are already seeing increasing erosion of our beaches and the inundation of low-lying wetlands. Physically, SLR will intensify impacts from storm surge, flooding, and erosion. Fiscally, governments will need to spend large amounts of money on emergency response and to rebuild flooded infrastructure. Valuable government tax base and significant private investment will literally fall into the sea. And, if governments fail to plan for these impacts, legal fallout is a certainty.

Powerpoint presentation outlining the key features of integrated water resource management for cities.

Creating a healthy, livable, and equitable city must include a commitment to effective water management. Yet, most cities have a water system that is burdened by serious threats, from lack of funds for proactive maintenance to challenges in quality or supply, that are too great to solve with current management practices. Cities can instead create a more resilient water system by transitioning to a new framework: integrated water management. This approach to water management can help cities leverage limited resources more efficiently and better safeguard the important roles that water fills in residents' lives. Residents depend upon safe drinking water flowing reliably from their taps, and cities must safeguard this vital service to protect the health of their residents. Providing clean drinking water equitably to all, regardless of income level or location within the city, is essential to preserve public trust in government. Water is a necessary commodity, powering residents' lives and businesses. Safe and easy access to healthy, attractive, and recreational waterways greatly enhances livability and economic development; even without a body of water, cities can generate new economic opportunities through infrastructure investment and maintenance.

Approval and adoption of policies related to Santa Clara's water management system in the face of climate change.

The relationship between water and energy is a close one. Water requires a tremendous amount of energy to move from a reservoir or well, through the treatment process, and out into a distribution system. In addition, energy is required to process wastewater and recycle or discharge it. The energy required to operate the water and wastewater system is often called embedded energy. Despite this strong connection, the energy intensity of water and wastewater systems is relatively undocumented. There are few data sources and reports analyzing the energy required to move and treat water, and the data generally are not publicly available. ACEEE has been working to gain a better understanding of the energy embedded in water in order to help water utilities reduce costs, improve energy efficiency, and quantify the avoided energy and pollution savings that accrue as a result of water conservation programs. As part of an ongoing effort to advance the understanding of the water-energy nexus and bring attention to possible opportunities, the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) collaborated on a new research project to gather primary information on the amount of energy required to treat and distribute water. ACEEE and NAWC jointly produced a survey for NAWC's member companies related to their energy use and water processing. NAWC has over 100 member water and wastewater companies of varying sizes throughout the United States.

Brochure advertising and soliciting participation from citizens in the city's rain water harvesting and rebate program.