HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 4/19/2022 - Memorandum From Mariel Miller And Gretchen Stanford Re: 2021 Water Conservation Annual Report
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Utilities
electric · stormwater · wastewater · water
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
970.212.2900
V/TDD: 711
utilities@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/utilities
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: April 11, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Specialist
Gretchen Stanford, Deputy Director, Utilities CCSU
THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Kendall Minor, Utilities Executive Director
RE: 2021 Water Conservation Annual Report
Bottom Line: In 2021, water use was 139 gallons per capita per day (GPCD), only 7%
above the Fort Collins Utilities Water Efficiency Plan (WEP) goal of 130 GPCD by 2030.
This memo provides an update on the progress toward the WEP goal and includes a copy of the
2021 Water Conservation Annual Report (attached). In 2021, the community and Water
Conservation programs saved an estimated 160 million gallons of water. This is about 2% of the
total treated water demand for 2021 and is a 32% increase in savings over the last five years.
Water Efficiency Plan (WEP)
The current WEP, approved by City Council in early 2016, sets a conservation goal and guides
the Water Conservation Team regarding services, programs, incentives, public education and
regulations. Water consumption is often characterized by daily per person use, measured in
gallons per capita per day (GPCD), and is commonly used as an industry standard for
benchmarking. It is calculated by taking the total annual water demand and dividing by the
service area population over a year.
The current WEP GPCD by 2030, and
outlines the five key areas of opportunity:
Leverage Advanced Meter Fort Collins data and capabilities
Promote and support greater outdoor water efficiency
Encourage greater integration of water efficiency into land use planning and building codes
Expand commercial and industrial sector strategies
Increase community water literacy
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The GPCD for 2021 is 139. This means our community must use about 7% less water to reach
our goal by 2030. The 10-year average is 144 GPCD and the five-year average (2016-2020) is
about 142 GPCD.
It is important to note that while GPCD is used as an industry standard, it can be misleading
because it does not account for variations in population due to commuters/visitors or other
factors like weather, which affects outdoor water use.
Staff plans to update the WEP in 2023 and 2024. The update will provide an opportunity to
assess the 130 GPCD goal, other possible metrics for measuring success, and influences from
variables like population growth and climate change on water conservation strategies.
2021 Water Savings Results
Water Conservation programs helped customers save an estimated 160 million gallons in 2021.
This is a 22% increase compared to 2020, which saw lower savings due to a record hot/dry
summer and reduced program participation due to COVID-19. Additionally, in both 2020 and
2021, Water Shortage responses were enacted. In 2020, mandatory water restrictions were
passed in response to the Horsetooth Outlet Project and, in 2021, a voluntary Water Shortage
Watch was enacted in response to water quality impacts from the 2020 Cameron Peak fire. While
estimating savings from these efforts is challenging, water use was 20 million gallons lower
during the 2021 Water Shortage Watch when compared to the previous five-year average. The
following chart shows the increasing trend in water conservation program effectiveness and
water shortage responses since 2013:
In addition to being responsible stewards of our water resources, Water Conservation is one of
the most cost-effective strategies to increase reliability and reduce the need to acquire additional
costly water supplies. For reference, the cost to develop new supplies is currently $209 per 1,000
gallons of water. In 2021, the cost of Water Conservation programs was $8.12 per 1,000 gallons,
or 26 times less costly than acquiring additional supplies. As the cost to acquire and develop
160 131
184
134
87
71
50
2733
21 105
202120202019201820172016201520142013
Water Conservation Program Annual Savings
(million gallons)
Water Conservation Program Savings Water Shortage Response Water Reduction
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water supplies continues to rise across the state, investing in Water Conservation programs is one
of our best tools for water resource planning and management.
2022 Upcoming Efforts
The Water Efficiency Plan is a state-mandated requirement that must be updated every seven
years. The next update will be in 2023 and 2024, when staff intends to:
Advance equity, diversity and inclusion
Better understand how climate change impacts water use and conservation
Further integrate water and land use planning
Evaluate and improve metrics to measure water conservation success
Additional upcoming Water Conservation programs and events include:
Launch of the popular residential Sprinkler Checkup Program (June 2022)
Xeriscape Incentive Program educational training classes (April and May 2022)
Month-long xeriscape educational campaign (June 2022) and Xeriscape Garden Party
(June 18, 9 a.m.-noon)
Collaboration with the State of Colorado on the 2022 Year of Water campaign
SHIFT Your Water campaign
Municipal 2022 focus on We Are Water Smart goal