This paper explores the role that water conservation plays in municipal water utility planning studies, and investigates the extent to which least-cost planning, as carried out in the electrical energy planning area, can be incorporated in water resource planning. The central theme herein is that water allocation policy decisions, and not traditional resource economics, will dictate what is "cost effective." Environmental costs are emphasized; the author discusses the topics of incorporating environmental costs, methodology for determining quantifiable environmental costs and benefits, the price of water, and so forth. A number of case studies are given of utilities that have incorporated conservation into least cost planning of water resources.