Case Study Research on Offsets for Water Quality Management

This case study research analyzes six water quality trading and offset programs across Canada, the United States, and New Zealand to identify policy and program mechanisms for reducing nutrient and contaminant loading, specifically phosphorus and nitrogen, with a view toward application in Manitoba.

• Water quality offset programs enable cost-effective improvements by allowing regulated dischargers who exceed pollutant limits to offset those excess loads through greater pollution reductions achieved elsewhere within the same watershed, leveraging the fact that different sources face varying costs to control the same pollutant.
• In Manitoba, over 200 wastewater treatment facilities discharge phosphorus, contributing to the eutrophication and nutrient overloading of Lake Winnipeg. Because upgrading these facilities is resource intensive, offsetting discharges against nonpoint sources in the agricultural region could result in higher nutrient reductions, ancillary ecological benefits, and improved stakeholder relationships.
• The research synthesizes design, implementation, and institutional elements from six specific programs: the Lake Simcoe Phosphorus Offsetting Program and South Nation Conservation program in Ontario, Canada; the Lake Taupō nitrogen trading program in Waikato, New Zealand; and the Tualatin River Program (Oregon), Erie P Market (Western Lake Erie Basin), and Ohio River Basin Trading Project (Ohio) in the USA. Most of these programs function as compliance options for point source discharges through partnerships with nonpoint sources.

APA

Stanley,, M. P. R. (2019). Case Study Research on Offsets for Water Quality Management. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/case-study-research-offsets-water-quality-management

Chicago

Stanley,, Marina Puzyreva,Dimple Roy,Madeline. Case Study Research on Offsets for Water Quality Management. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/case-study-research-offsets-water-quality-management.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stanley, |first1=Marina Puzyreva,Dimple Roy,Madeline |title=Case Study Research on Offsets for Water Quality Management |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=8 January 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/case-study-research-offsets-water-quality-management |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stanley2019case, author = {Stanley,, Marina Puzyreva,Dimple Roy,Madeline}, title = {{Case Study Research on Offsets for Water Quality Management}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/case-study-research-offsets-water-quality-management}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }