HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 4/2/2024 - Memorandum From Alice Conovitz And Mariel Miller Re: Follow-Up To Feb. 13, 2024 Work Session: 2024 Water Efficiency Plan StatusUtilities
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
WORK SESSION MEMORANDUM
Date: March 25, 2024
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager/Interim Utilities Executive Director
Gretchen Stanford, Utilities Deputy Director Customer Connections
From: Alice Conovitz, Utilities Water Conservation Specialist
Mariel Miller, Utilities Water Conservation Manager
Subject: Follow-up to Feb. 13, 2024 Work Session: 2024 Water Efficiency Plan Status
BOTTOM LINE
The purpose of this memo is to provide follow-up information in response to questions raised
during the Feb. 13, 2024 Work Session on the 2024 Water Efficiency Plan (WEP). All
Councilmembers were present with Councilmember Ohlson attending remotely. A summary of
the discussion was documented in a Work Session Memorandum dated Feb. 19, 2024 with
subject line, “February 13, 2024 Work Session Summary: 2024 Water Efficiency Plan Status”.
The purpose was to describe the state-mandated Fort Collins Utilities (Utilities) WEP and the
2024 update process. The 2024 WEP will set conservation goals, incorporate extensive public
engagement focusing on marginalized community members, and employ numeric modeling and
an equity analysis to help prioritize future water conservation and efficiency strategies. Potential
strategies include rate structures, education, voluntary incentives, regulations, and standards.
The staff presentation and Agenda Item Summary also provided background on water
conservation and efficiency and Utilities’ work to manage water demand to provide a reliable
water supply.
The following items, requested by Council, are addressed in this memo:
1. Per unit water residential water use by housing type.
2. Water Efficiency Plans for neighboring water providers.
3. Water use comparison to other communities.
4. Utilities water rate comparisons across customer types.
5. Water savings associated with xeriscape standards.
ITEM #1 – PER UNIT RESIDENTIAL WATER USE BY HOUSING TYPE
Average annual water use per unit is greatest for single-family customers, who used
approximately 78,600 gallons per housing unit on average, as shown below on the plot. The
amount of water use per unit is similar between duplex and multi-family customers, averaging
approximately 46,300 gallons per unit and 44,400 gallons per unit, respectively. On an average
per-unit basis, seasonal outdoor uses account for 49% of single-family residential water use, but
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only 33% for duplex and 21% for multi-family residential customers. These patterns reflect the
generally higher amount of irrigated outdoor landscapes associated with single-family and
duplex residential accounts0F1. Additionally, the average number of people per household (pph)
varies across housing types, which primarily influences indoor use. We estimate the average
occupancy per unit is 2.6 persons per household (pph) for single-family residential, 2.2 pph for
duplex, and 1.6 pph for multi-family residential, based on analysis of 2021 U.S. Census Bureau
data for the entire city of Fort Collins.
ITEM #2 – WATER EFFICIENCY PLANS FOR NEIGHBHORING WATER PROVIDERS
Within the city of Fort Collins’ growth management area, Utilities, East Larimer County (ELCO),
and Fort Collins-Loveland Water District (FCLWD) each must submit water efficiency plans1F2.
The following bullets summarize key information about these plans:
• Utilities: Update is underway with intent to submit update to CWCB in late 2024. The
current WEP was completed in 2015 and is available at https://www.fcgov.com/WEP
o The current WEP sets a goal to reduce community-wide per capita water use to
130 gallons per capita per day by the year 2030; however, this goal is being re-
evaluated.
• ELCO: The latest WEP was updated in 2016 and is available at
https://dnrweblink.state.co.us/CWCB/0/edoc/202185/ELCO_WEPlanUpdate2017.pdf?se
archid=1914c118-df55-45bf-a6c6-0c2e1ad3c877
o ELCOS’s WEP set a goal to reduce treated water demands by 740 acre‐feet per
year by 2035, as compared to predicted use based on passive water demand
1. For multi-family properties with large irrigated common areas, these may be billed at commercial rate codes. In
2023, annual water use was 21% lower than average for irrigation-only accounts, which includes commercial and
residential common areas.
2. The Water Conservation Act of 2004 (HB04-1365) requires all retail water providers that sell 2,000 acre-feet or
more annually to have a state-approved water efficiency plan.
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
Multi-family Duplex Single-family
Ga
l
l
o
n
s
Average Annual Water Use per Unit
(2019 -2023)
Indoor Use Outdoor & Seasonal Uses
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management.
• FCLWD: The latest WEP was submitted in 2023 and is available at https://fclwd.com/wp-
content/uploads/2023/07/FCLWD-2023-Water-Efficiency-Plan-Update-for-Public-
Review-1-1.pdf
o FCLWD’s WEP set targeted water savings goals by customer class to lower the
treated water demand by 10% over the ten-year planning period, or by
approximately 1% per year.
Other water efficiency planning documents can be found on individual websites or the
searchable water conservation plan database
(https://dnrweblink.state.co.us/CWCB/CustomSearch.aspx?SearchName=WaterConserverPlan
Search&cr=1 ) hosted by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the state agency
that reviews and approves WEPs.
ITEM #3 – WATER USE COMPARISON TO OTHER COMMUNITIES
Gallons per capital per day (GPCD) is a common metric used by water providers to evaluate
water use independent of population growth. The calculation is typically done annually and can
measure total, residential or commercial GPCD. Annual GPCD is calculated as: volume of
annual water demand, divided by population served, divided by number of days in a year.
GPCD is not typically weather-normalized, which means it will vary across years and climates.
Even in areas with similar climates there is variability in the methodology used to calculate
GPCD, making it challenging to use as a comparison tool between water providers. The
variability or differences happen in the first two values of the equation – volume of water and
population. Variations in how water providers define volume of water include total treated water,
total billed consumption, total metered consumption, inclusion of untreated water, and
inclusion/exclusion of large contractual deliveries to commercial customers. Population
estimates can also vary based on data availability and population estimate methods. These
inconsistencies all influence GPCD and should be considered when comparing GPCD between
water providers. However, if using GPCD to compare, the best option is to use residential
GPCD and highlight the differences in the data used.
The final estimation of Utilities’ 2023 water demand is 122 GPCD (this is lower than the
preliminary estimate presented at the Feb. 13, 2024 Council Work Session, which was initially
estimated at 132 GPCD). This is a decrease of 12% from the 2022 demand of 139 GPCD. The
drop in GPCD is due to a 123% increase in precipitation during irrigation months compared to
prior years. Customers responded to the weather and reduced their outdoor use, but 2023’s low
GPCD is not likely to persist during drier or hotter years.
Staff researched others’ historical GPCD from current WEPs and discussed GPCD in more
depth with three other water providers who responded to a request for more information. A few
providers we researched and contacted are using GPCD as a performance metric or goal in
their WEPs and many consider it a poor tool for comparison purposes, especially when
commercial use is included. Some providers were reluctant to provide their numbers. The plots
below present GPCD for residential use (upper plot) for those water providers and years that
residential-only data was available, and total use (lower plot; total GPCD includes both
residential and commercial use) for those that did not have residential data available. (For total
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GPCD, calculation variabilities include those described above, as well as the use of raw water,
excluding large industrial water use from total GPCD and differences in the amount of
commercial water use versus residential use – some communities have relatively very little
commercial use.)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total GPCD by Year
(includes residential and commercial uses)
Fort Collins Utilities Aurora Castle Rock
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Residential GPCD by Year
(excludes commercial use)
Fort Collins Utilities Fort Collins-Loveland Water District
East Larimer Co Water District Westminster
Greeley
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Staff recommends moving away from a GPCD goal in the updated WEP as a publicly facing
metric, given its complexity and variability. It’s likely Utilities would continue to track GPCD
internally to monitor for trends. A better goal or performance metric may be volume of water
treated and/or metered, or volume of water reduced over a given period. A simplified volume-
based metric, such as a reduction in total water use or estimated water savings, would align
better to predicted and estimated water savings from conservation and efficiency strategies,
which are also expressed as volumes. A simplified metric would minimize public confusion
about what GPCD means and its nuances.
ITEM #4 – UTILITIES WATER RATES COMPARISONS ACROSS CUSTOMER TYPES
Utilities is committed to delivering safe, reliable and competitively priced services for all
customers. Single-family and duplex water rates have a base charge and three tiers, with
increasing costs-per-gallon as use goes up. Multi-family residential and commercial customers
have lower rates in winter. Commercial rates are based, in part, on tap size. Current Utilities’
water rates for all customer types are available online at
https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/img/site_specific/uploads/water-wastewater-and-stormwater-
rates.pdf?1704235735.2F3
Utilities’ residential water rates are similar to, or lower than, neighboring municipalities, as
shown in the following table:
2024 Residential Average Monthly Utility Bill
Utility Electric Water Wastewater Stormwater Total
Fort Collins Utilities $ 88.41 $ 53.04 $ 37.04 $ 23.09 $ 201.58
Longmont $ 82.56 $ 69.33 $ 41.33 $ 18.85 $ 212.07
Loveland $ 89.76 $ 61.16 $ 43.04 $ 24.88 $ 218.84
Greeley $ 100.63 $ 73.90 $ 36.99 $ 18.61 $ 230.13
Colorado Springs $ 99.92 $ 96.95 $ 30.53 n/a $ 227.40
Boulder $ 100.63 $ 66.72 $ 48.43 $ 27.10 $ 242.89
ELCO n/a $ 58.24 n/a n/a n/a
FCLWD n/a $ 61.93 n/a n/a n/a
ITEM #5 – WATER SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH XERISCAPE STANDARDS
A well-managed landscape built with xeriscape principles – one of which is limiting turf – can
yield significant water savings when compared to typical turf-heavy landscapes. Water use data
for participants in the Utilities Xeriscape Incentive Program (XIP) show that limiting high-water
turf reduced water use by an average of seven gallons per square foot per year for areas
converted from turfgrass to xeriscape, or about 60% less water.
3 Detailed water rate information for FCLWD is available online at https://fclwd.com/support/rates-and-fees/.
ELCO’s water rates are available at https://www.elcowater.org/rate-information.
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Turf replacement programs like XIP and development landscape standards reduce current and
future water demands. Staff scheduled a hearing in May 2024 for code changes that propose
new standards that prioritize water-wise landscapes. If adopted, these new standards would
apply to commercial and multi-family development and redevelopment, which include large
common areas like those maintained by homeowners’ associations. To reduce outdoor water
demand, staff will propose that no more than 30% of the total landscaped area (not to exceed
10,000 square feet) in new and redeveloped commercial and multi-family properties be planted
with high-water turfgrass species.
Using the criteria of the proposed standard, staff analyzed property and water use data, and
several development scenario assumptions. Staff estimate the proposed standard would save at
least 53 million gallons annually on multi-family properties alone at GMA build-out compared to
no turf limitations. If adopted, the portion of water savings associated with new and
redevelopment in the Utilities water service area could help make progress towards a future
WEP goal.
Given the variability of business types and unpredictability of future development trends, non-
residential commercial property water reduction estimates are more difficult to capture and
therefore were not included. It is assumed that if the new standards are adopted, commercial
landscapes would achieve a 60% reduction in future water use compared to water use trends
seen with current landscapes. The Urban Landscape Conservation Task Force reiterates this
challenge in their final report published in Jan. 2024, pointing out the many factors that make
predicting water savings for regulations so difficult. Regardless, there is consensus amongst
task force and water conservation professionals state and national that one effective way to
reduce water use is to reduce new turf installation.3F4 City staff anticipate the water demand
model that is being developed for the WEP update to be able to provide more comprehensive
water demand estimates for this and other strategies.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to work on the WEP update. Ongoing and upcoming actions include
continuing engagement activities with the public and staff to inform the planning process and
finalizing the water demand estimation model. A second Council Work Session is currently
planned for July 9, 2024, to provide an update on the planning process and seek further
direction.
Attachments:
1. Work Session Memorandum: February 13, 2024 Work Session Summary: 2024 Water
Efficiency Plan Status
2. Work Session Agenda Item Summary: 2024 Water Efficiency Plan Status
3. 2024 Urban Landscape Conservation Task Force Final Report
CC: Gretchen Stanford, Utilities Deputy Director Customer Connections
4 2024 Urban Landscape Conservation Task Force Final Report
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