HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/13/2022 - Memorandum From Mariel Miller Re: 2022 Sprinkler Checkup Program Annual Report
Utilities
electric · stormwater · wastewater · water
222 Laporte Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.212.2900
V/TDD 711
utilities@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/utilities
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: November 28, 2022
TO: Mayor Arndt and City Councilmembers
FROM: Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Manager
THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Kendall Minor, Utilities Executive Director
Gretchen Stanford, Utilities Deputy Director, Customer Connections
RE: 2022 Sprinkler Checkup Program Annual Report
Bottom Line:
Water Conservation completed a successful 2022 residential Sprinkler Checkup season,
conducting 484 checkups across Fort Collins Utilities (Utilities), Fort Collins-Loveland
(FCLWD), and East Larimer County (ELCO) water districts from May through September. The
table below illustrates where checkups occurred by water district and in relation to city limits and
the Growth Management Area (GMA).
Location Utilities ELCO FCLWD Total
Inside city limits 193 33 127 353
Outside city limits, within GMA 2 14 8 24
Outside GMA 0 7 100 107
Total 195 54 235 484
Background:
Utilities’ Sprinkler Checkup Program began in 1999, offering free, 90-minute checkups to
residential customers. A checkup includes a thorough visual inspection of the system, a custom
watering schedule, and recommended upgrades and repairs. Over the last 24 years, we have
conducted 7,787 checkups and reduced an estimated 93 million gallons of water. In a typical
year, we hire four seasonal technicians. In total, we have hired approximately 67 Sprinkler
Checkup Technicians, several of whom went on to receive full-time positions with the City.
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12/5/2022
2022 Program Highlights:
The Sprinkler Checkup Program completed 484 sprinkler checkups in 2022, the second
highest total ever, including both automated and non-automated system checkups.
51% of customer survey respondents made changes to their system or controller post-
checkup.
The average turn-around time for building and sending post-checkup customer reports
was just two days.
15,462 sprinkler heads were inspected (76% were reported to be in good condition, with
the remaining 24% exhibiting operational problems that often lead to overwatering or
wasted water).
Assessed about 2 million square feet of turf (equivalent to 34 football fields).
This year, Water Conservation implemented the following program enhancements and changes:
Sprinkler Checkup yard signs were displayed on customer properties with consent for
about two weeks and then picked up and reused at future checkups. The signs effectively
promoted the program, and we plan to have more on hand for next year.
District-specific checkup days provided a more efficient schedule that helped
technicians decrease travel time, cost, and vehicle emissions between each checkup. It
also afforded the ability to spend more time with customers, if necessary.
MyWater Residential Water Budgets were added to reports for Utilities customers,
replacing the original Landscape Water Budgets. The MyWater budgets reflect the size of
the landscape, the landscape’s water requirement, the number of people, and seasonal
timing, providing a more accurate and customized tool to help customers manage their
water use.
Refined estimated water savings by adjusting for weather, which is expected to yield
more accurate program water saving amounts relative to estimates in previous years.
Over the years, we have evolved the program to incorporate new technology, improve the
customer experience, and increase program efficiencies. In 2009, we began expanding our reach
to include Utilities customers serviced water by FCLWD, those serviced by ELCO, and
eventually, all customers in all three water districts, even if they reside outside of Fort Collins.
We offer this service to the other water providers for a per-checkup fee, which is updated
regularly to ensure it covers Utilities’ expenses to offer checkups in areas outside of Utilities
water service area.
Please see the 2022 Sprinkler Checkup Program annual report attached.
You can find the program’s 2023 waitlist and more information at:
fcgov.com/sprinkler-checkups.
CC: Jason Graham, Utilities Water Director
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
1
BACKGROUND
2022 marked the 24th year of the Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program, which provides free water efficiency
evaluations of residential sprinkler systems. Since 1999, the Sprinkler Checkup Program has provided 7,787 free system
evaluations. These assessments cover system efficiency, optimal operation, and potential water-saving upgrades.
Sprinkler checkup technicians also discuss turf health, landscape transformation, and indoor conservation. After the site
visit, participants receive a follow-up report that includes advice on efficient lawn watering, as well as a customized
watering schedule and list of needed repairs and potential upgrades. Over the years, the service has grown to include
other water districts and multiple enhancements.
BENEFITS
During the summer months, about 60% of all treated water is used outdoors. The benefits of educating our community
and fostering better management of irrigation include:
• Supporting Fort Collins Utilities’ and other water districts’ water efficiency plans.
• Reducing peak usage, which drives overall water system capacity needs.
• Reducing summer water bills for customers.
• Reducing run-off and keeping excess irrigation from taking fertilizer and other pollution into waterways .
• Helping the community adapt to a changing climate and improve resiliency to drought.
PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
484 sprinkler systems across three water districts were assessed in 2022, one of the highest totals ever and second only
to last year’s record of 505 checkups. We reached 97% of our goal of 500 checkups. In 2022, July was our busiest season
of the month with 163 checkups, which is 41 checkups per week on average.
Number of Sprinkler Checkups by Water District and Month
May Jun Jul Aug Sep Total
Utilities 2 50 71 35 37 195
FCLWD 2 70 66 69 28 235
ELCO 0 11 26 13 4 54
Total 4 131 163 117 69 484
2019
Introduction of
the Sprinkler Audit
Plus program, ongoing
monthly reports for
customers, and GIS
mapping
enhancements.
2020
Continued
program with adapted
methods through
COVID-19 pandemic
and increased reliance
on GIS software.
2021
Continued
adapted COVID-19
precautions and
introduced new non-
automated checkups
and demographic
evaluations.
2022
Implemented yard
sign promotion,
created district-
specific checkup days,
and transitioned to
MyWater residential
budgets.
484
Total
Checkups
Completed
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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Sprinkler checkup technicians used an online application and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) to collect unique data at each site and provide
the following program results:
• Assessed 1,976,806 square feet (~34 football fields) of turf.
• Reduced usage by approximately 454,700 gallons (equivalent
to the water use of about 6 homes for one year1).
• Changed schedules on 48% of controllers to be more efficient
during the checkup (51% of survey respondents said they
adjusted their controller post-checkup).
• Averaged a 2-day turnaround from sprinkler checkup
completion to customer report delivery.
Program participation from FCLWD customers was 17.5% greater in 2022 than 2021. The increase followed promotion
via emails sent to customers, Facebook posts, and newsletter excerpts by FCLWD. ELCO also saw a 26% increase in
participation from its customers: 43 checkups in 2021 compared to 54 checkups in 2022.
1 The average annual residential water use for Fort Collins Utilities water service customers in 2018-2020 was 83,000 gallons.
2 Completed checkups include duplicate checkups for houses with large properties; 1 in ELCO and 1 in FCLWD. The numbers in parentheses in the
Completed checkups column denotes check-ups performed on non-automated systems.
3 The ‘gallons reduced’ estimates were calculated using irrigation events observed through hourly water usage data from Fort Co llins Utilities
Customers before and after the checkup, using a weather normalized approach. A coefficient for gallons saved per square foot of assessed area
was established and then multiplied to reflect the savings for each square foot of assessed area. In previous years, staff has used a coefficient that
was not weather normalized and compared pre- and post-checkup irrigation estimates to prior years. The savings results are lower than previous
years and are conservative estimates. Staff will continue to analyze methodology in future program years, using other methods for estimating
outdoor water use vs. indoor use. The gallons saved per square foot estimate for Fort Collins Utilities was then extrapolated across the partnering
districts to estimate the total gallons of water reduced for the entire season in each district.
4 The ‘controllers changed’ estimates are conservative as they only consider checkups where the technician or the homeowner re-programmed the
controller during the checkup. There are likely customers who later reprogrammed the controller and made repairs or upgrades to their system
that also resulted in water conservation. The total percentage of controllers changed is the amount of controllers re-programmed (228) within all
three districts divided by total checkups (479--not including non-automated and duplicated checkups).
Water
Service
District
Average area
assessed per
home (sq. ft.)
Completed
checkups2
Total area
assessed (sq. ft.)
Estimated water
reduction (gal)3
Controllers
changed (%)4
Utilities 3,425 195 (3)3 667,782 153,600 51%
FCLWD 4,685 235 (1) 1,100,092 253,000 42%
ELCO 3,965 54 (1) 208,932 48,100 60%
Total 4,095 484 (5) 1,976,806 454,700 48%
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
Following each sprinkler checkup, customers were sent an online evaluation survey to gather information about the
value of the checkup, what was learned, what changes were made post-checkup, and demographic information. We
received 93 responses in total among all three districts, with varying response rates per question. When customers
surveyed were asked about whether the checkup met expectations, we received 92 responses. 61 indicated that the
sprinkler checkup exceeded expectations, while 27 indicated the checkup met expectations. 4 customers reported that
their checkups fell short of their expectations due to misunderstandings about the scope of a checkup (e.g., finding an
underground leak) and what information is received in person vs. in the post-checkup report.
95% of Checkups Met or Exceeded Customer Expectations
Customer Comments
“[The technician] was awesome. [They] pointed out some things I could do and offered to make a bunch of changes to
my controller.”
- Utilities Customer
“[The technician] was absolutely fantastic! VERY detail-oriented and went through my entire sprinkler program/zone
setup with me. This is an incredible service that Fort Collins offers, and I’ve been praising it to everyone, including my
realtor!”
-Utilities Customer
“[The technician] was very thorough and took the time to explain how sprinkler heads work and how to adjust them.”
-ELCO Customer
“[The technician] gave complete advice, recommending a doable watering plan and a thorough evaluation of our
system.”
-ELCO Customer
“[The technician] was very thorough and patiently answered all my questions. [They] took the time to thoroughly
review everything. The report and recommendations included much more detail than I expected.”
-FCLWD Customer
19%
Response
Rate
66%
Exceeded
Expectations
29%
Met
Expectations
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS
For the second time in the program, the post-checkup evaluations included optional questions about various
demographics. Of the 93 participants from all three water districts that completed a post-checkup evaluation, 87
answered some or all the demographic questions within the post-checkup evaluation. The responses were compared to
total population demographics for the city of Fort Collins and for Larimer County, since checkup participants from the
various water districts may reside outside of Fort Collins city limits. The “Percent Change Column” compares sprinkler
checkup percentages from the 2022 season to the sprinkler checkup percentages from 2021’s season. It is important to
note that the percentage calculated is based off the number of respondents per question.
Household Income
The table below compares household income percentages of residents who took part in the Sprinkler Checkup Program
and completed the evaluation to the population with the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. From this data, we see
that the survey responses are underrepresented for income ranges of less than $99,000. Survey responses for income
ranges greater than $100,000 are generally overrepresented when compared to total city and county populations.
Household
Income5
2022 Sprinkler
Checkups
Larimer
County
City of Fort
Collins
Less than $10,000 0% 5% 6%
$10,000-$19,999 0% 6% 7%
$20,000-$29,999 1% 8% 8%
$30,000-$39,999 2% 7% 8%
$40,000-$49,999 6% 7% 7%
$50,000-$59,999 6% 7% 7%
$60,000-$74,999 8% 10% 9%
$75,000-$99,000 8% 15% 14%
$100,000-$124,999 17% 11% 10%
$125,000-$149,999 8% 7% 7%
$150,000-$199,999 4% 9% 9%
$200,000 or More 12% 8% 8%
Decline to Specify 28% N/A N/A
5 Household Income: Larimer County and City of Fort Collins data sourced from: Larimer County Housing and Living Statistics.
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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The table below compares household income percentages of customers who took part in the 2021 Sprinkler Checkup
Program and subsequent survey to customers who took part in the 2022 season and survey.
Household Income
2021
Sprinkler
Checkups
2022
Sprinkler
Checkups
% Change
$0-$49,999 11% 9% -2%
$50,000-$74,999 4% 13% 9%
$75,000-$99,999 18% 8% -10%
$100,000-$149,999 24% 25% 1%
$150,000-$199,999 7% 5% -2%
Greater than $200,000 9% 12% 3%
Decline to Specify 27% 28% 1%
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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Race
This table shows a breakdown of race and ethnicity demographics of program participants who completed an evaluation
compared to total Larimer County and City of Fort Collins populations.
Race6
2022
Sprinkler
Checkup
Percent
Change
from 2021
Larimer
County
City of Fort
Collins
American Indian/
Alaskan Native
0% -1% 0% 0%
Asian 1% -4% 2% 4%
Black/African American 0% -1% 1 % 1%
Two or More Races 2% 0% 5% 5%
White 86% 5% 79% 77%
Decline to Specify 11% 1% N/A N/A
Ethnicity
2022
Sprinkler
Checkups
Percent
Change
From 2021
Larimer
County
City of Fort
Collins
Hispanic/Latino Origin
(Of Any Race)
4% 0% 12% 12%
Non-Hispanic/Latino
Origin
81% 0% 88% 88%
Decline to Specify 15% 0% N/A N/A
6 Race: Larimer County data sourced from: Census Data for Colorado (2020). Data Set: Population by Race and Ethnicity 2020 Counties
City of Fort Collins Data sourced from: Census Data for Colorado (2020). Data Set: Population by Race and Ethnicity 2020 Municipalities.
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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Property Occupants Status
This table shows property occupancy status of sprinkler
checkup participants who completed the evaluation.
This data shows that most program participants own
their home as compared to renting. Outreach and
marketing efforts, program changes and other tactics
will be considered to better address program barriers
associated with renter populations, since around 22% of
single-family detached homes in Fort Collins are rentals
and the survey responses are only 2% renters.
Property
Occupant
Status
2022
Response
Percentages
Percent
Change from
2021
Other 0% -1%
Own 94% 7%
Rent 2% -5%
Decline to Specify 4% 0%
Length of Residence in Fort Collins Area
This table shows the length of residence in the Fort
Collins area for sprinkler checkup participants who
completed an evaluation. Notably, it shows that new
homeowners/residents and those that have lived in the
area for a long period of time are most interested in
having their irrigation system evaluated.
Length of
Residence in
Fort Collins Area
2022
Response
Percentages
Percent
Change
from 2021
1-5 Years 28% -6%
6-10 Years 16% 1%
11-15 Years 11% 2%
16-20 Years 8% 4%
More Than 20 Years 33% 0%
Decline to Specify 4% -1%
Post-Checkup Evaluation
Customer Data Highlights
59%
of customers replaced
heads or nozzles post-
checkup.
46%
of customers learned
what the cycle-soak
method was.
51%
of customers improved
controller settings
(implementing cycle-
soak, reducing days per
week, etc.).
43%
of customers learned
their watering schedule
should change during the
season to account for
weather changes.
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Checkup Program 2022
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CONTINUED RESPONSE TO COVID-19
Training
Training was conducted in the office and in the field with a hybrid-remote option for the mitigation of COVID-19
exposure. Water Conservation worked with Safety & Risk Management to advise technicians and staff on proper PPE
use, customer interactions, potential COVID-19 threats associated with the program, and how to mitigate such threats.
Customer Outreach
To ensure the safety of both customer and technician, staff
engaged with customers prior to their scheduled sprinkler
checkup. Before each scheduled checkup, automated emails
were sent out to customers with screening questions to
ensure the customer, those in their household, and those
they interact with did not have COVID-19 or show signs of
illness. If any customers had symptoms that could be related
to COVID-19 or had been exposed to someone developing
illness, they were required to reschedule their checkup
appointment. Pre-checkup outreach emails to customers also
set expectations for COVID-19 precautionary procedures
taken by technicians during the appointment. Pre-checkup
outreach creates transparency between customers and staff,
keeping both parties safe.
Checkups are conducted outside, so when sprinkler checkup technicians arrived at appointments, they asked the
customer about their preferences with masks, distancing, and interaction during the checkup. Doing this prior to the
checkup with the customer ensures all parties are comfortable and feel safe during the duration of the appointment.
COVID-19 precautions, paired with routine checkup procedures, helped ensure safe and effective sprinkler checkups.
PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS
Evaluating Program Inclusivity
After evaluating numerous program changes with various groups and expert staff, with an objective to increase the
program’s efficiency and participation, staff made the following key changes prior to the start of the 2022 season:
• Implemented Yard Sign Promotion
• Created District-Specific Checkup Days
• Transitioned to MyWater Residential Water Budgets
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Yard Sign Promotion
This year, the program purchased 20 yard signs to advertise sprinkler
checkups in customer’s yards. Signs were placed with customers’ consent for
two weeks before being picked up and placed in another’s yard. The signs
were kept track of using FieldMaps, an ArcGIS data collection mobile
application. The sprinkler checkup yard sign distribution effectively promoted
the program and will be launched on a larger scale for next year.
District-Specific Checkup Days
2022 was the first year the program implemented district-specific checkup days to reduce travel time and emissions for
sprinkler technicians between appointments. Because many ELCO and FCLWD homes are located in east Fort Collins,
south Fort Collins, Windsor, or Timnath, the drive between each sprinkler checkup location could be upwards of 10-15
miles (20-25 minutes). To maximize efficiency, the sprinkler checkup calendar was set up so that customers from each of
the three districts (FCU, FCLWD, and ELCO) could sign up for checkups days specific to their district. If customers were
unable to find a time that worked for them on the district-specific day, they could call the Sprinkler Checkup Program to
have a staff scheduler manually add them to a different day.
MyWater Residential Water Budget
Previously, landscape water budgets were included in reports for FCU customers. This year the program switched to
providing MyWater residential water budgets instead. The MyWater residential water budget considers the size of the
landscape, the landscape water requirement, number of people, and seasonal adjustments. Its purpose is to provide a
more accurate and customized tool to help customers manage their water use.
Future Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Program Enhancements Under Evaluation for 2023
Hoped-for enhancements include the following:
• Targeted program promotion and outreach to underrepresented groups identified in the 2022 survey results.
• Like the non-automated sprinkler checkups, automated sprinkler checkups may include more evening checkup
options to minimize the barrier of having to schedule a checkup during traditional working hours.
• Prioritize the hiring of a diverse sprinkler technician group, including an intern with Spanish fluency.
• Consider translating program materials and outreach to Spanish.
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GIS AND MAP PRODUCTION
Offline mapping capability
ensuring fast and efficient
data collection in the field
Standardized map template
ensuring quality and
consistency
High-resolution, aerial
imagery base map
Integrated map
symbols indicating
sprinkler head type,
operating condition,
and zone number
Ability to
map drip
lines
Dynamic map legend
that updates
automatically to
reflect the sprinkler
system of interest
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Common Problems
A total of 15,462 sprinkler heads were inspected in
the 2022 season, including 11,788 (76%) in good
condition, with the remaining 3,674 (24%) exhibiting
operational problems. The two most common
problems in every water district were tilted and
broken heads. Tilted heads are often caused by lawn
mowers or nearby foot traffic, which can result in
dry or dead grass where there are uneven spray
patterns and lack of water coverage. Straightening
sprinkler heads creates an even distribution of
water. Broken heads lead to dry or dead grass where
there is a lack of water coverage, as well as wasted
water near the site of the broken head, where water
can frequently be found leaking at a high volume.
MyWater Residential Water Budgets
Water Budgets were included in customers’ sprinkler
checkup reports for the fourth season. This year,
reports transitioned from having landscape water
budgets to MyWater residential water budgets. The
MyWater residential water budget graphs display
customers’ historic monthly water use for up to two
years and compares it to an estimate of how much
water is needed per month based on the area of their
landscape that is irrigated. If excess water usage
occurred in 2021, staff can evaluate the potential for
utility bill saving, in gallons and dollars, and includes
this information with the graph to provide an estimate
of potential annual savings had there been no excess
water use. This is challenging to do with only partial
data from the current irrigation year, which is why data
from prior years is needed.
MyWater
Residential
Water Budget
Number of
People
Irrigated Area
of Turf
Landscape
Water
Requirement
Seasonal
Adjustments
Tilted
25%
Broken
16%
Obstruction
13%
Low Pressure
11%
Over Throwing
11%
Sunken
8%
Wrong Equipment
5%
High Pressure
5%
Other
4%
Clogged
2%
Geyser
<1%
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Example of a MyWater residential water budget graph that indicates the customer’s indoor and
outdoor water use compared to their personalized water budget. The light blue dotted line above the
dark blue shading indicates that in summer months the customer has exceeded their water budget,
likely due to outdoor irrigation. This customer uses more water than their landscape needs.
CITY LIMITS AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREA CLASSIFICATIONS
Number of 2022 Sprinkler Checkups
Location Utilities ELCO FCLWD Total
Inside city limits 193 33 127 353
Outside city limits,
within GMA 2 14 8 24
Outside GMA 0 7 100 107
Total 195 54 235 484
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Locations of 2022 Sprinkler Checkups
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