Development of an Army Water Security Strategy: Stateside Component

In October 2010, the Army Environmental Policy institute initiated the development of an Army water security strategy, which was ultimately published in December 2011. The purpose of this effort was to; (1) provide a complete workable definition for Army water security, (2) conduct the first comprehensive study of water security management in the Army, and (3) identify the key issues on which Army leadership can focus to ensure that the Army has enough water of suitable quality for the foreseeable future. A review of key policy drivers was followed by a series of interviews of personnel inside and outside the Army. The culminating effort identified four major goal areas, three of which apply to stateside military installations: (1) water resources sustainability – preserve sources, protect rights, (2) reduce demand, and (3) maintain infrastructure integrity and security. This paper provides a condensed view of the objectives associated with each of these three goals.