Water quality trading

It is an innovative, voluntary tool that connects industrial and municipal facilities (point sources) with agricultural producers or other landowners (nonpoint sources) to economically achieve water quality improvements and to accommodate growth. It is a flexible and cost effective approach for maintaining, restoring, or enhancing water quality.

Voluntary environmental credit trading programs are growing as a market-based solution to help companies buy credits for environmental improvements they are not in a position to make immediately.

The downside is that the neighbors and the species that inhabit the immediate location in question don't benefit from an improved environmental plot. 

When viewed as a temporary bridge to help owners of sub-optimal land and facilities, credit trading can be helpful.  As the US adopts standards for what, how much, and length of time that credits can be traded, this voluntary process could be strengthened.

Some of the groups involved in voluntary water credit trading programs are:

Environmental Trading Network
International Certified Crop Advisers
Water Environment Federation
Conservation Technology Information Center