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Home My WebLink AboutWater Commission - MINUTES - 06/05/2025Page 1 of 5 06/05/2025 Minutes Water Commission REGULAR MEETING Thursday, June 5, 2025 5:30 PM 700 Wood St. (Utilities Service Center), Poudre Conference Room 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:32 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Commissioners Present (in person): Chairperson Jordan Radin, Commissioners James Bishop, Laura Chartrand, Rick Kahn, Carson Madryga and Nick Martin b. Commissioners Present (online): Commissioner Greg Steed c. Commissioners Absent: Commissioners Paul Herman and Nicole Ng d. Staff Members Present (in person): Jill Oropeza, Katherine Martinez, Alice Conovitz, Madeline Duke, Katie Collins e. Staff Members Present (online): Michael Neale f. Guests: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. COMMUNITY MEMBER PARTICIPATION None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: MAY 15 Chairperson Radin asked Water Commissioners if they had any suggested revisions on the May 15 draft minutes. There were none. Commissioner Martin moved to approve the May 15 minutes as presented. Commissioner Chartrand seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 7-0 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None 7. NEW BUSINESS a. STAFF REPORTS i. Memo: Spring 2025 Water Shortage Response Planning Water Resources Engineer II Michael Neale was present to answer questions. No discussion. A commissioner commented on the day’s rain. b. Regular Items i. Water Efficiency Plan (WEP) Update Water Conservation Specialist Alice Conovitz gave an overview of Page 2 of 5 06/05/2025 Minutes the state-required Water Efficiency Plan (https://ourcity.fcgov.com/wep ) and its scope, and presented revisions made since last updating Water Commission in March 2025. Staff support included Acting Water Conservation Manager Katie Collins and Program Assistant Madeline Duke. The WEP guides water use and efficiency, minimizes risk of water shortage, prioritizes strategies (programs, incentives, policies). The 2015 goal was 130 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) by 2030. The new efficiency goals are meant to lower risk and build resilience in answer to the public’s concerns about water scarcity and providing for future generations; related targets under the goals are volume metric-driven: Goal 1: Reach 4% annual reduction in water demand by 2040. Goal 2: Improve efficiency and build resilience on City- owned landscapes Ms. Conovitz requested the Water Commission’s feedback on the revised draft plan. Staff will return on July 17 to request the Water Commission’s recommendation to City Council for adoption of the updated WEP at Council’s Sept. 2 meeting. Discussion Highlights Commissioners suggested the following additions to the draft plan: 1) Impacts in the event other entities’ boundaries change and whether these can be incorporated into the plan, such as the Northern Integrated Supply Project’s planned Glade Reservoir (Ms. Conovitz replied they can consider these but the WEP focuses on Fort Collins Utilities’ service area) 2) Average number of turf grass per single family residence (staff replied average conversion in Xeriscape Incentive Program is approximately 1,200 s.f.) 3) Explain mechanisms used to achieve goals, which would make the plan more compelling, if this is within the plan’s scope; i.e. how the WEP is translated into practice (Ms. Conovitz replied there is a section of the plan detailing metrics, and that the state simply requires a water efficiency plan but doesn’t monitor progress) 4) Halligan Water Supply Project and what the projected increase would be. Rationale: goal is measured against uncertain projected demand, so how do you achieve it? (Ms. Conovitz replied that staff’s Water Supply Vulnerability Study addressed conditions with and without Halligan) 5) Council presentation in September provides a golden opportunity to communicate information on water savings from turf grass to other options, such as xeriscaping, which ties to the City’s xeriscape program. Commissioners also commented on and inquired about various Page 3 of 5 06/05/2025 Minutes related topics including: Water usage from 2015 to the present: has there been a greater reduction in indoor or outdoor demands and Gallons Per Capita Per Day (GPCD)? Staff researched this and will available at the July 17 meeting if there are additional questions: Below are figures showing indoor and outdoor water use in million gallons (top plot) and in gallons per capita per day (bottom plot). Over the time period shown, we have seen a larger decrease in indoor water use than in outdoor water use. Note that our analysis did not control for weather, which has a large influence on outdoor water use and can drive significant year-to-year variability in outdoor use. (For example, the sharp decrease in residential and commercial outdoor water use in 2023 was in response to very high precipitation during the irrigation season that year.) While it can be helpful to consider where we’ve seen the biggest savings in the past, many factors – both anticipated and unanticipated – are likely to shift where we’ll see the biggest savings in the future. This is why the Water Conservation portfolio of offerings is so diversified. Other topics included whether the goal applies only to residential water use (Ms. Conovitz replied that it applies to all; new goals are moving away from the gallons per capita per day (GPCD) metric); whether the “high growth hot and dry” line in the graph on slide 5 is data driven (staff replied it is; both ends are modeled based on billed customer demand); type of model staff used: statistical or other (Ms. Conovitz replied they use a couple of different models and this one is linear regression-based; staff works with Colorado Climate Center on narrowing down reasonable inputs for predicted temperature and precipitation change); climate change; whether the state specifies the type of model to use (staff replied that the state does not specify the type of model used and is interested in seeing demand projections); Page 4 of 5 06/05/2025 Minutes Some residents are served by Fort Collins-Loveland Water District (FCLWD) (Senior Director of Integrated Water Sciences and Planning Jill Oropeza replied by summarizing aspects of the cooperative relationship between Fort Collins Utilities and FCLWD); variables that impact demand growth and how it could drive increased demand (staff replied that this is difficult to predict due to multiple variables, such as multi-unit versus single unit, and differences in office buildings, etc., as well as new businesses coming into the service area; the City’s water rights (Ms. Oropeza replied that the majority of the our water cannot be reused); Goal of “Complete 7 City landscape projects by 2040” and opportunities for education and savings (staff replied with examples, such as turf conversion at a park, or signage explaining water savings); shortage preparedness includes one-in-10 year restrictions that could be, say, two weeks or two months depending on situation; whether the “5 degrees warmer by 2070” is relative to pre- development conditions (Ms. Conovitz stated the 30-year baseline ended approximately 2010); Trends in the two comparison communities (Castle Rock and Aurora) mentioned in slide 33 of the presentation that have a more regulatory approach (water restrictions of three days a week, for example); return flows as a feedback mechanism; desire by some local residents to see the Poudre River wet year-round. Commissioners shared their appreciation for the informative and interesting presentation, and all the work that went into the presentation and the plan. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS a. None 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Election of Officers i. Chairperson ii. Vice Chairperson Commissioner Kahn moved to elect Commissioner Chartrand as Chairperson. Commissioner Bishop seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously 7-0 Commissioner Martin moved to elect Commissioner Bishop as Vice Chairperson. Commissioner Kahn seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously 7-0 b. Tours for Water Commissioners i. Staff provided an update on tour status for August (Michigan Ditch Wildfire Mitigation Project: https://csfs.colostate.edu/colorado-state-forest/michigan- Page 5 of 5 06/05/2025 Minutes ditch-pre-fire-mitigation-project/ ) and October (Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project: https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/oak-street- stormwater-improvements-project ) and will share more details as they confirm plans. 10. ADJOURNMENT a. 6:53 PM Minutes were approved by the Chair and a vote of the Water Commission on 07/17/2025