Community saves with water-wise rules

In this season of thanks, we want to express gratitude to our customers for their water-saving efforts during our first year of new water-wise rules in Colorado Springs.

We estimate we will save a total of 559 acre-feet in 2020, exceeding our goal of 375 acre-feet. That’s equal to about 500 football fields covered in 1 foot of water.

The water-wise rules officially launched May 1 and by early July the majority of our customers were successfully following the three-days-per-week schedule. As Colorado faces drought conditions across the state, these savings help lessen those impacts over time.

We’re committed to working together to account for shrinking water supplies, climate variability and a booming population. Over the next 50 years, our community needs to save more than 10,000 acre-feet per year of water to meet our long-term water resource goals. That’s enough water to fill more than 5,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools every year. These new rules are expected to meet 10% of that efficiency goal.

This summer we provided education, irrigation tips and resources to help customers succeed with the new rules. We fielded hundreds of customer calls and consults, conducted audits for commercial irrigation systems, and enrolled more than 700 people in landscape webinars.

The rules, adopted by Colorado Springs City Council in early 2020, are:

1. You may water up to three days a week. You choose the days. 
2. In warmer weather (May 1-Oct. 15) only water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. to reduce evaporation. 
3. Don't let water pool on hard surfaces or flow down gutters. 
4. Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days. 
5. Use a shut-off nozzle when washing anything with a hose. 
6. Clean hard surfaces (such as driveways, sidewalks and patios) with water only if there is a public health and safety concern. 

And, kudos to our water conservation staff who earned awards for their hard work with landscape industry partners this year, including:

• The 2020 Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) Outstanding Industry Partnership Award for programs focused on building partnerships to promote outdoor water conservation with the landscape industry.
• A Colorado Water Plan Grant for Irrigation Efficiency Improvement from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). The program helps commercial customers make their landscapes more water efficient.
  
  

Learn more about landscape ideas, tips and resources to help you be successful with these water-wise rules next season.