Water in the west is changing: As climate becomes more unpredictable and our population grows, the efficient use of water is increasingly important.
We are part of a larger, western water community of 40+ million people who use Colorado River supplies. The Colorado River Basin has been in drought conditions for over 20 years and is the source for about half of our water supply.
Our sustainable water plan, approved by the Utilities Board in 2017, is the roadmap for providing a reliable and sustainable water supply for our customers in a cost-effective way through the build-out of the community. What we do today makes a difference tomorrow.
Continued conservation and efficiency practices allow us to have greater certainty and flexibility to meet our communities’ needs in the future. Water conservation delays the need to acquire more supplies or build more infrastructure with increasing operating costs.
Even though our population has increased by 85%, we’re using about the same amount of water as a community today as we did in the mid-1980s. Our customers have partnered with us in achieving this success by taking advantage of our efficiency programs and rebates.
Our current water conservation (savings) target is 9.8-11.6 million gallons per day or a 10% reduction in the overall water demands between now and the time Colorado Springs is fully built out. That’s enough water to fill more than 5,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools annually.
Since outdoor water use is a significant part of water demand, we can make the most headway by using less water in our landscapes. The water-wise rules approved by Colorado Springs City Council in 2020 are permanent and limit landscape watering to three days a week. From May 1 to Oct. 15, customers may water only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Customers are truly practicing a conservation ethic and following these rules. We’re already realizing more than 180 million gallons of water savings year after year.
Conservation isn’t just about enforcing new rules. Historically, landscape education has been successful in helping our customers to use water wisely. And our education offerings and incentives are numerous and varied:
- Landscape resources and rebates incentivize customers to use efficient irrigation equipment and use drought-resistant plants. These include residential and business rebates for efficient sprinkler heads and smart irrigation controllers.
- In lieu of a xeriscape rebate, we offer commercial customers a rebate for the conversion of turfgrass to native grass. More than 1.1 million square feet of turfgrass has been converted through this program since 2016.
- Free landscape education classes are provided through the Water Conservation Programs and the Water-wise Demonstration Garden, 2855 Mesa Rd. Customers can visit the garden or waterwiseplants.org for landscape ideas and plants that thrive in our region.
- Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we began offering the traditional in-person classes through online webinars. And we offer a series of educational videos, monthly newsletters, and print materials promote xeriscape practices, water conservation and water-wise lawn care.
- Through a grant program, we provide a $100 coupon to participating nurseries for new homeowners who attend a sustainable landscape class.
- Classes and seminars extend to the landscape industry, which plays a critical role in supporting the implementation of drought-resistant landscapes.
- For indoor water savings, the Business Custom Rebate program provides rebates for businesses to retrofit indoor water fixtures. It is especially beneficial for customers who require large amounts of water for indoor use, including schools, hospitals, apartment complexes, hotels, restaurants and retirement facilities.
- Free irrigation assessments target business customers who need help improving their irrigation systems. Our Builder Incentive Program encourages Colorado Springs homebuilders to construct high-efficiency homes. In turn, this helps customers save on their utility bills, while reducing our community’s overall energy and water use.
We continue to plan for future programs. Ultra-high efficiency toilets are the best technology for new and older homes. We’re evaluating a program for business and residential customers as part of our 2022 Water Efficiency Plan.
Our natural resources are precious. We are looking decades ahead and taking the steps today to ensure our community has the resources necessary to thrive. We’re always about the “what ifs” and “just in case” scenarios so our customers have what they need, beyond today.
Again, thank you. Your commitment to using water wisely makes a difference for our community and our region.
