HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 6/3/2014 - Memorandum From Lisa Rosintoski And Laurie D�Audney Re: 2013 Water Conservation Annual ReportWater Conservation
Annual Report
2013
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................... 1
Water Sources ............................................. 2
Water Conservation Planning ..................... 2
Water Use Goals ......................................... 3
2013 Weather and Water Conditions .......... 4
Water Restrictions ....................................... 4
2013 Accomplishments ............................... 7
Education and Public Information ......... 7
Water Rates and Usage Information ...... 9
Indoor Fixtures and Appliances:
Residential ........................................... 10
Outdoor Efficiency: Landscapes and
Irrigation .............................................. 10
Indoor Fixtures and Appliances:
Commercial.......................................... 12
Water Reuse Systems .......................... 12
Regulatory Measures ........................... 13
Operational Measures .......................... 13
Graywater Research and Legislation ........ 15
Collaboration & Regional Participation .... 15
How Are We Doing? ................................ 16
Charts and Graphs ..................................... 18
Water Conservation Plan Measures .......... 23
2013 Water Conservation Staff
Laurie D’Audney, Water Conservation Manager
Michelle Finchum, Public Relations Coordinator
Lucas Mouttet, Water Conservation Coordinator
Eric Olson, Water Conservation Coordinator
Kelly Scholl, Horticulturist
Andrew Vogel, Water Conservation Intern
Seasonal Staff
Wendy Anderson
Alex Inzer
Ryan Johnson
Kyle Schroeder
Introduction
This is the 22
nd
Water Conservation
Annual Report prepared for the Fort
Collins City Council providing
accomplishments, partnerships, water
use and an update on the provisions of
the Water Conservation Plan.
The City views the water conservation
program as a proactive response to water
supply variability and climate change.
Reducing indoor demand can be
achieved through improved technology,
leak reduction and behavior change.
Outdoor demands can be reduced
through improved watering efficiency
and landscape transformation. Lowering
water use improves system reliability
and resilience to supply variability.
The water conservation program
compliments Fort Collins Utilities’
strategic sustainability initiative, Utility
for the 21
Executive Summary
Fort Collins Utilities offers a multi-faceted water conservation program based on public
education, incentives, assessments and enforcement. The program is guided by the Water
Conservation Plan which sets a goal of 140 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) by 2020. The
incremental target to reach this goal was 149 gpcd for 2013. The average demand (adjusted
for weather) in 2013 was 147 gpcd.
In early 2013, the mountain snowpack was well below average and there were concerns over
water quality due to numerous wildfires in 2012, with the High Park Fire being the most
significant. As a result, the decision was made to implement water restrictions. However,
abundant spring snows brought the snowpack back to near average
and the restrictions were only in place from April 1 to June 1. The
challenge of implementing restrictions meant additional customer
communication and engagement and enforcement duties. For the
restriction period, water use was 22 percent below average and 18
percent below expected use.
2013 Highlights
• Provided 2,294 customer rebates for replacing fixtures with high-
efficiency models including clothes washers, dishwashers, toilets,
urinals and sprinkler equipment.
• Completed 407 sprinkler system audits, identifying system problems
and recommending an efficient schedule for homes and homeowner
associations.
• Provided retrofits of showerheads, faucet aerators, showertimers and
toilets to 275 households in collaboration with the Larimer County
Conservation Corps.
• Provided three all-day Poudre Watershed Tours. About 150
community members learned what it takes to provide quality water
from the source to the treatment facility.
• Developed a new award program, Water Catchers, to recognize the
efforts of residents and businesses to conserve water. Two businesses
and one resident received awards.
• Offered customers water and energy conservation kits with a
showerhead, faucet aerators, toilet leak detection dye tables, a
compact fluorescent light bulb and more.
• Reviewed 73 landscape plans and 49 irrigation plans for compliance
with the Land Use Code’s water conservation standards.
• Participated in the State’s stakeholder groups to develop rulemaking
for graywater regulations and completed the first year of a two year
graywater research project with Colorado State University (CSU).
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 1
Our Water Sources
The City receives its water supplies from the Cache la
Poudre, Michigan and Colorado River basins. The Poudre
River basin sources include senior direct-flow water rights,
shares in several local irrigation companies and storage
capacity in Joe Wright Reservoir, located high in the basin
near Cameron Pass. Water from the Michigan River basin is
conveyed into the Poudre basin where it can be stored in Joe
Wright Reservoir then released for delivery to the water
treatment plant, along with other Poudre sources.
The City also owns units of the Colorado-Big Thompson
(C-BT) Project, administered by Northern Water (formerly
the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District). C-BT
water is diverted from the upper Colorado River basin and stored in Lake Granby, Carter
Lake and Horsetooth Reservoir. The City takes delivery of its C-BT water out of Horsetooth
Reservoir.
On average, each source provides about half of the supplies used to meet Utilities’ customer
treated water demands. Including all sources, the City currently owns water rights that have
an average annual yield of approximately 754,000 acre-feet (AF) per year. Per City Council
policy, Utilities maintains sufficient water supply to meet an average annual treated water
demand of approximately 31,000 AF during a 1-in-50 year drought in the Poudre River basin.
During more severe droughts, restrictions may be implemented to reduce demand to match
available supplies.
Water Conservation Planning
Water Supply and Demand Management Policy
The original 1992 Water Demand Management Policy was updated and combined with the
Water Supply Policy in 2003. In November 2012, City Council adopted a revised Water
Supply and Demand Management Policy (WS&DMP).
The WS&DMP provides general criteria for decisions regarding water supply projects,
acquisition of water rights and demand management measures. The revised policy sets an
annual water use efficiency goal in alignment with the Water Conservation Plan of 140
gallons per capita per day (gpcd) by 2020. It also sets a peak daily demand goal of 350
gallons per capita (gpc) by 2020. These are a reduction from the previous 2003 policy which
set the goals at 185 gpcd for water demand and 475 gpc for peak daily demand by 2010.
The 2012 WS&DMP sets a water supply planning demand level of 150 gpcd, which is used
to determine water supply and facility acquisitions. This planning level provides a value that
is higher than the water use goal to address uncertainties inherent in water supply planning.
Water Conservation Plan
In 2010, the Water Conservation Plan (WCP) was approved by the Colorado Water
Conservation Board to comply with the State’s Water Conservation Act of 2004. The WCP
(fcgov.com/waterconservationplan) reflects specific measures related to the demand
management criteria outlined in the WS&DMP and sets a demand goal of 140 gpcd by 2020.
City Council approved the recommended measures in the 2010 to 2014 budgets.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 2
Programs target all customer classes and indoor and outdoor water use. Attachment ‘A’
shows the programs and measures in the plan, including the customer class that will be
impacted, whether a measure affects indoor or outdoor use and the date of implementation.
All but two of the measures are in place. “Online access to water history” and “Water loss
program enhancement” will be implemented as data from the deployment of advanced meters
becomes available.
The WCP says that a “formal review and revision will be completed five years after
adoption,” meaning the City’s plan would need to be updated by 2015. As work on the
revision began, it became clear that not enough data was available to evaluate how the
current programs were working. Since new programs were implemented gradually from 2010
to 2013, their impact on water use is only beginning to be realized. With the Water Board’s
agreement, it was decided to meet the State’s schedule of an update within seven years, in
2017. The Budget for Outcomes process in 2014 also influenced the decision to delay the
update since program recommendations may impact the budget. With more planning time,
recommendations will be prepared in 2016 for the 2017-2018 budgeting process.
Water Use Goals
The Water Conservation Plan sets a goal of 140 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) by 2020.
The gpcd calculation is based on the total treated water used by City customers (adjusted for
large contractual customers and other sales or exchange arrangements) divided by the
estimated population of the City’s water service area and 365 days. This calculation is
adjusted for weather (normalized) to provide a fair comparison with other years.
2013 Water Use Savings
In 2013, the normalized average demand was estimated to be 147 gpcd, lower than 152 gpcd
in 2012. The table below shows the incremental annual targets for achieving the WCP goal,
compared to actual normalized use.
Water Conservation Plan Annual GPCD Targets
Target
Actual
Normalized
Previous
5-yr. Average
Baseline 155
2010 153 144 151
2011 152 144 149
2012 150 152 148
2013 149 147 147
2014 147
2015 146
2016 144
2017 143
2018 142
2019 140
2020 139
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 3
2013 Weather and Water Conditions
Mountain snowpack was well below average early in 2013 with
only 50 percent of average snowpack on February 1; 62 percent by
March 1 and 70 percent by April 1. The low snowpack and water
quality concerns due to numerous 2012 wildfires in the Poudre
River watershed prompted the decision to implement water
restrictions. However, abundant spring snows brought the Poudre
Basin snowpack up to 94 percent of average by May 1 and ended
the snow season with close to average snowpack. In addition,
significant snowpack increases in the C-BT basin provided for
additional allocations from that system. Therefore, water
restrictions were only in place from April 1 to June 1.
The snowpack conditions caused the native Poudre River flows to
be well above average at almost 318,000 AF, compared to an
average of 275,000 AF and only 109,300 AF in 2012.
The damp spring was followed by a very dry June, average July and dry August. September
was very wet for a week producing about 6 inches of rain in Fort Collins, but up to three
times that amount fell in other Front Range communities causing flooding that resulted in
tremendous destruction and loss of life.
Temperatures during 2013 were generally warmer than average, with a mean daily
temperature of 50.0 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1.7 degrees above average but significantly
cooler than 2012 which was 5 degrees above average. Total precipitation for the year was
slightly above average at 18.8 inches; however, almost one-third of the year’s total
precipitation occurred in mid-September.
Total water demand was 23,201 AF, about 91 percent of projected use due to well-timed
spring rains and fall flooding. The City’s peak day use of 43 million gallons occurred on June
26, which is earlier than the usual peak in early July.
Water Restrictions
Northern Water issued an initial 50 percent quota in November 2012, and
despite persistent drought conditions a supplemental quota in April of only
10 percent. Due to low snowpack at the time, it was prudent to maintain
storage levels in Lake Granby in case of continuing drought conditions.
Staff began meeting to discuss the water supply situation and the need for
restrictions in November 2012. In January 2013, a Water Restrictions
Team, made up of water resources and treatment, water conservation,
communication and marketing, education and parks staff, came together
every two weeks to coordinate all aspects of the restrictions. A
comprehensive Water Shortage Management Action Plan was written to
guide communications, public engagement and violation management.
The Water Supply Shortage Response Plan (WSSRP), Ordinance No. 048,
2003, outlines a series of measures to be enacted, including water
restrictions, for four levels of water shortage. On March 6, City Manager
Darin Atteberry declared Response Level 1 restrictions to be effective on
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 4
April 1. The Cache la Poudre River had water quality concerns due to the High Park Fire and
low snowpack. The Colorado-Big Thompson Project continued to be affected by persistent
drought and low snowpack.
In anticipation of possibly declaring Response Level 2 or higher, Council approved
Ordinance No. 047, 2013, adjusting the water rates as recommended in the WSSRP and a few
revisions to the plan itself. By May, the weather had made a drastic turnaround with abundant
snow and precipitation. With an increase in our water supplies that no longer indicated a
shortage, restrictions were lifted effective June 1. All actions and results were captured in the
Water Shortage Management Action Plan for future reference.
Communication and Public Engagement
Heading into restrictions, the decision was made to take an
educational approach to encourage customers’ participation.
Communications and public engagement plans were prepared with
key messages and targeted outreach.
The communications plan included using the slogan, Reduce Our
Use, as a call to action. Bill inserts, bus benches, bus shelters,
newspaper and magazine articles and ads, social media and the
website reflected the need for restrictions and ways to conserve.
A speaker’s bureau was established to educate the public about the
City’s need for restrictions, how to comply with them and other
conservation actions. About 75 percent of City staff attended a
presentation where they learned about the need for restrictions so
they could share a consistent message when talking to the public.
Staff also received communication through internal emails and the
intranet. Externally, 54 presentations were given to various businesses, organizations and
at community events.
Business sectors largely impacted by the water restrictions, such as landscapers, power
washers, breweries and homeowner associations (HOA), received targeted outreach. Key
account managers communicated often with businesses to share the status of the water
supply and restrictions; especially around the potential rate increases for Response Level
2 and higher.
Violation Management
Violation management included issuing permits and
responding to complaints of wasting water and violations of
the restrictions. There were 179 permits issued and 53
complaints investigated. No citations were issued. To help
customers comply with the restrictions, home visits were
offered to help re-program their sprinkler controllers.
Permits issued:
New seed and sod: 164
Medical hardship: 4
Religious objections: 5
Large property: 6
Water restrictions
presentation
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 5
Complaints by sector:
Residential: 29
Commercial: 24
Complaints by violation:
Wrong day: 19
Wrong time: 10
Spraying impervious surface: 4
Wasting water: 20
Lifting Restrictions
Due to a dramatic increase in mountain snowpack, the City was fortunate to have
significant additional Horsetooth Reservoir supplies which allowed the City to achieve a
carryover goal of 7,500 acre-feet and meet remaining 2013 demands. City Manager Darin
Atteberry declared the termination of the water restrictions as of June 1.
Water Use
For the restriction period of April 1 to May 31, water use was 22% below average and
18% below expected use (the amount of water that was expected to be used considering
the actual weather conditions).
Updates
As the water restrictions were implemented, it became clear that the Water Supply
Shortage Response Plan and associated Municipal Code provisions needed to be updated.
In August, the Water Restrictions Team reconvened to begin working on the revisions to
the plan based on identified issues. The proposed changes will be presented to Water
Board and City Council in 2014.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 6
2013 Accomplishments
The Water Conservation Plan identifies eight categories of programs and measures. Below is
a review of the accomplishments in each category.
1. Education and Public Information
Education and outreach efforts are a strong component of the City’s water conservation
program to raise awareness about the need for conservation and ways to conserve. These
programs reach residents, businesses and youth.
Public Information Campaign
• Answered customer inquiries and
distributed information through brochures,
bill inserts and Utilities’ website.
• Wrote articles for the Fort Collins
Coloradoan, City News and Colorado
WaterWise newsletter.
• Promoted water conservation messages on
bus benches, bus shelters and in the local
newspaper.
• Staffed displays at events, including Earth
Day, Gardens on Spring Creek’s Harvest
Festival, Northern Water’s conservation fair
and Colorado WaterWise’s workshop.
• Provided staff and materials at spring and
fall campaign events at home improvement
stores and farmers markets. Offered two
$250 sprinkler system upgrades as drawing
prizes.
• Promoted Fix a Leak Week in March with a mayoral proclamation, news releases and
advertisements to encourage customers to check for and repair leaks.
• Participated in the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation during the month
of April. Fort Collins was awarded second place. The 1,200 Fort Collins participants
pledged to take actions to save 19.8 million gallons.
Xeriscape Education
• Offered three 2-hour presentations, Tricks and Tips for Xeriscape, Evolving into a
Xeriscape Design and More Color, Less Water as part of the 26
th
annual Residential
Environmental Program Series.
• Co-coordinated the 10
th
annual full-day High Plains Landscape Workshop with a sold-out
crowd of nearly 300 people attending presentations on a variety of landscaping topics.
• Co-hosted a xeriscape class at the Gardens on Spring Creek, Plant Select (42 attendees).
• Hosted a garden party in July at the City’s Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Master
Gardeners provided guided tours, while nurseries, landscape designers and a composter
set up displays and answered questions. Refreshments and music were also provided. A
Coloradoan photographer attended and a photo was printed in the next day’s issue.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 7
Irrigation Education
• Provided a daily Lawn Watering Guide on Utilities’ website at fcgov.com/lawnguide and
on the Coloradoan weather page. The guide shows how much water a lawn might need if
not watered for three, five or seven days.
• Co-hosted two irrigation classes at the Gardens on Spring Creek, Just Drip It (42
attendees) in April and Efficient Sprinklers (17 attendees) in May.
• Held sprinkler system workshops at local retail stores, irrigation distributors and a
nursery.
• Provided 119 customers with consultations regarding sprinkler equipment, performance
and maintenance.
Community Water Education
• Provided three all-day Poudre Watershed Tours.
A June tour was for key account and other
commercial customers, while the July and August
tours were open to the public. Approximately 50
people participated each day.
Participants learned about what it takes to
provide quality water from the source to the
treatment facility. Stops include a walk along the
Michigan Ditch, lunch at Cameron Pass and
activities at Gateway Park. Highlights included
sights of the High Park Fire and commentary
about the fire and its effects on the watershed.
• Co-hosted the Big Splash Open House with the
Poudre Landmarks Foundation in June at the 1882 Water Works building. The event
included tours, displays and activities.
• Collaborated with graduate students from the CSU’s Public Lands History Center to
continue the process of writing an update to the Water Utility’s 1982 history book, From
Bucket to Basin. Publication is expected in 2014.
• Distributed a Watershed Bike Tour brochure that guides riders to water landmarks along
the Spring Creek and Poudre bike trails and Centennial Drive at Horsetooth Reservoir.
The brochure includes a map and information about each stop.
• Sustainability Services hosted a public showing of Rivers of Renewal as part of the
Mindful Movies series.
Commercial Education
• The BizEd series offered four programs for businesses related to water: Water Supply and
Conservation, Financial Solutions for Efficiency, Multi-family Utility Management and
Sector Success: Efficiency Best Practices.
• Provided staff and materials about conserving and City programs available at
EnvirOvations in April and the Business Innovation Fair in November.
Watershed Tour - August 2013
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 8
School Programs
• Co-sponsored the 22
nd
annual Children’s Water Festival. This fun event provided water
education to over 1,750 Poudre School District third graders. Students spent half a day at
Front Range Community College learning all about water through classroom
presentations and hands-on exhibits.
• Visited classrooms as Dr. WaterWISE, bringing a water conservation curriculum to
schools. Maps, activity books and teachers’ handbooks on a variety of water subjects
were distributed to teachers for use during their study of water.
• Presented classroom programs to elementary and junior high students about local water
history, watershed studies, microbiology and water chemistry.
Water Catchers
• A new award program in 2013, Water Catchers was created to recognize the efforts of
residents and businesses to conserve water. Two businesses and a resident received
awards. Awards were given to:
Resident Joel Shippy installed efficient showerheads
and faucet aerators throughout his home, and
checked for and repaired leaks, with an estimated
water savings of 1,000 gallons per month.
Brendle Group, a sustainability consulting firm, won
the small business award. With a goal of achieving
net zero water by 2020, they expect to reduce water
use by 40,000 gallons a year through efficiency
measures.
Mountain Crest Behavioral Healthcare Center, a part
of the University of Colorado Health, was the large
business award recipient. By starting the watering
season later and updating to more efficient sprinkler
equipment, they saved over 650,000 gallons a month,
a 60 percent savings over 2012.
Conservation Giveaways
• Developed a new water and energy conservation kit with showerheads, faucet aerators,
toilet leak detection dye tablets, compact fluorescent light bulb and other energy
efficiency items. Shower timers and hose nozzles were also given away.
2. Water Rates and Usage Information
Increasing Block Rate: the three-tiered water rates for single-family and duplex customers
increased 4 percent in 2013.
Seasonal Rate: with higher rates from May through September, commercial and multi-
family customers experienced an increase of 4 percent in 2013. In addition, commercial
water rates also have a second tier based on higher water use.
Online Water Use Calculator: an online tool for customers to help them evaluate their
water efficiency. A link to the Alliance for Water Efficiency’s Home Water Works site
includes the calculator, water saving tips, and information on water-using fixtures and
appliances.
Becky Fedak, Brendle Group, accepts
Water Catcher award from
Michelle Finchum
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 9
3. Indoor Fixtures and Appliances: Residential
Incentive programs provide rebates, loans, services or goods to customers to encourage the
purchase of efficient products.
Rebates: offered double rebates for clothes washers, dishwashers, toilets and showerheads
during the fall campaign from September 1 to December 31. The double rebate promotion
resulted in 187 washer, 142 dishwasher, 212 toilet and 7 showerhead rebates.
2013 Residential Indoor Rebates
Rebates # Items # Rebates
ENERGY STAR® clothes washer - $50 971 971
ENERGY STAR dishwasher - $25 648 648
MaP Premium toilet (1.06 gpf) - $75 41 41
WaterSense toilet (1.28 gpf) - $50 610 445
WaterSense showerhead (2 gpm) - $10 25 25
Total 2,295 2,130
On-bill Financing: offered low-interest loans for energy and water conservation projects.
Water loans are available for service line repairs or replacement. No on-bill financing water
loans were given in 2013.
Low Income Retrofit Program: participated in Larimer County Conservation Corps’ retrofit
program by providing 298 showerheads, 584 faucet aerators, 37 toilet tank bags and 57
shower timers for the 275 homes that received retrofits. In addition, 26 WaterSense labeled
toilets were installed to replace high water use models. The retrofits are estimated to save
about 2 million gallons of water annually.
Home Efficiency Audits: offered an assessment of a home’s energy and water use and
provided a list of recommended measures to improve efficiency. During 2013, 683 audits
were conducted.
4. Outdoor Efficiency: Landscapes and Irrigation
Xeriscape Demonstration Garden: oversaw maintenance of the City’s Xeriscape
Demonstration Garden with over 160 species of trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers.
The garden is a Plant Select
®
demonstration garden. Plant Select, a cooperative program
between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and local horticulturists,
identifies and promotes distribution of plants that are well-suited for our region.
Xeriscape Design Assistance Program: revised the Xeriscape Design Clinics into an
ongoing design assistance program at a customer’s home. Beginning in 2014, customers will
be able to meet one-on-one with a landscape design professional to develop a landscape plan
for an area of their yard.
Garden-in-a-Box: partnered with the Center for Resource Conservation to offer the Garden-
in-a-Box program, including a $25 discount for City customers. Six pre-planned xeriscape
gardens with a design and plants were offered. Fort Collins residents purchased 74 gardens.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 10
Sprinkler System Audits: offered a sprinkler system audit program
for the fifteenth summer. Sprinkler systems were evaluated for
watering efficiency, and homeowners received a watering schedule
and information about proper watering.
• Five seasonal auditors performed 394 home and 13 HOA
audits in 2013.
• Fort Collins-Loveland Water District (94 audits) and East
Larimer County Water District (48 audits) contracted with
Utilities to perform audits for their customers.
• A self-audit kit is available for homeowners to check out with
the equipment needed to do their own sprinkler audit.
Sprinkler Equipment Rebates: Along with a rebate, a Tech Check
consultation was offered to ensure new equipment is correctly
installed and programmed. In 2013, seven Tech Checks were completed.
2013 Residential Sprinkler Equipment Rebates
Rebates # Items # Rebates
Weather-based controllers - $150 25 25
Weather station add-on: $50 2 2
Soil moisture sensor - $45 2 2
Rain sensor - wired, $15, or
wireless, $30 16 16
High efficiency nozzles - $25 (purchases
of $50-$99) or $50 (more than $100) 590 45
Pressure-reducing heads - $25 (purchases
of $40-$79) or $40 (more than $80) 245 18
Total 880 108
2013 Commercial Sprinkler Equipment Rebates
Rebates # Items # Rebates
Weather-based controllers - 50 percent of
purchase price, up to $400 5 5
Weather station add-ons - 50 percent of purchase
price, up to $400 1 1
Soil sensor - $45 0 0
Rain sensor - $30 3 3
High efficiency nozzles - $3 per nozzle 1,941 11
Pressure-reducing heads - $35 per zone 314 13
Commercial sprinkler audit - $100 2 2
Total 2,266 35
Alex Inzer performs a
sprinkler audit for a customer
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 11
5. Indoor Fixtures and Appliances: Commercial
Commercial Facility Assessments: performed 268 facility water and energy assessments for
commercial customers, compared to 93 in 2012 and 60 in 2011. They were done in
conjunction with ClimateWise and the Business Efficiency Program. Free faucet aerators
were provided to businesses at the time of the assessment.
Restaurant Conservation Outreach
• Installed 53 pre-rinse spray nozzles, 365 faucet aerators and information about water
efficiency to 70 businesses with commercial kitchens.
• Printed and distributed restaurant Water Served Upon Request table-top cards in
collaboration with the cities of Loveland and Greeley and Fort Collins-Loveland and
ELCO water districts.
Hotel Conservation Materials: printed new water conservation materials for local hotels
and motels, including a linen reuse card, a towel reuse hanger and a table-top brochure with
information about the Poudre River watershed and importance of conserving water. These
will be distributed in 2014.
Commercial Indoor Rebates: offered a variety of rebates to commercial customers for
water-efficient appliances and fixtures, including a custom rebate.
• Custom rebates were offered for water-saving equipment that has expected water
savings of 20 percent or more as compared to prior equipment. Three rebates were
given in 2013; one for 12 showerheads and two for pool filters. Each filter is
estimated to save over 796,000 gallons per year.
2013 Commercial Indoor Rebates
Rebates # Items # Rebates
Clothes washer – vended: $250,
non-vended - $125 1
1
Dishwasher - $250 1 1
MaP Premium tank toilets (1.06 gpf) - $75 2 1
WaterSense tank toilets (1.28 gpf) - $50 63 11
Flushometer toilets (1.28 gpf) - $100 12 3
Urinals (.5 gpf or less) - $100 2 1
Custom: 25% of equipment cost,
up to $5,000 14 3
Total 95 21
6. Water Reuse Systems
Water Treatment Facility: treats the backwash water with ultraviolet disinfection and
recycles it to the beginning of the treatment process. In 2013, 199 million gallons were
recycled.
Drake Water Reclamation Facility: treated wastewater is reused by being pumped to the
Rawhide Power Plant for landscaping and cooling water.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 12
7. Regulatory Measures
The City of Fort Collins has various regulations to encourage efficient water use.
Wasting Water Ordinance: investigated 35 complaints in accordance with the Municipal
Code’s wasting water regulations.
Landscape and Irrigation Standards for Water Conservation: promote efficient water use
through proper landscape and irrigation system design and installation.
• Reviewed 73 landscape plans for new developments for compliance with the Land
Use Code water conservation standards. The plan review is part of the process prior
to City approval of new developments.
• Reviewed 49 irrigation plans and completed 34 site inspections of new developments
for compliance with the Land Use Code water conservation standards. The review is
part of construction permitting before a final building permit is issued.
Water Supply Shortage Response Plan: outlines a series of measures to be enacted,
including water restrictions for four water shortage response levels. In 2013, water
restrictions were in effect from April 1 to June 1.
Restrictive Covenants Ordinance: prohibits homeowner association covenants from
banning the use of Xeriscape or requiring that a percentage of the landscape be planted with
turf. Although customers asked questions, no enforcement was needed in 2013.
Soil Amendment Ordinance: requires organic matter be added to the soil before planting
turf to encourage deep roots and water penetration. In 2013, 605 soil amendment
certifications were issued.
Green Building Code: beginning in 2012, the City’s building code mandates WaterSense
1.28 gpf toilets as well as low-flow faucets, urinals, and showerheads in residential and
commercial facilities. Estimated annual water savings is 20 percent for residential properties
and 25 percent for commercial properties.
Streetscape Standards: City Council adopted new Streetscape Standards in 2013. In
addition to landscaping requirements for medians and parkways, the standards include curb
treatments, sidewalks, railings, planter pots and other features. A demonstration of the new
parkway standards was designed and partially installed along Elm Street at the Utilities
Service Center. Planting will be completed in 2014, along with signage about the parkway
guidelines.
8. Operational Measures
Water Loss Program: Utilities’ Leak Detection Program uses sound detection equipment to
identify small to moderate leaks so they can be repaired before they become large leaks.
During 2013, Utilities surveyed 100 miles of water main to detect leaks. Pinpointing the
exact location of the leaks before they surface saves water and reduces excavation and street
pavement repair costs.
Advanced Meter Fort Collins (AMFC): In 2013, Utilities completed deployment of almost
all mechanical electric and water meters to electronic meters that will enable two-way digital
communication, enabling better service to customers through more reliability and increased
information about usage. Water use data from the meters is received on an hourly basis,
allowing leaks to be identified in a timelier manner than from monthly meter readings.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 13
Customers will have access to a web portal in 2014 for tracking their water and energy
consumption and receiving alerts, including a mobile application.
Municipal Government Sustainability Management Plan: The City of Fort Collins has a
long history of promoting sustainable practices through a variety of innovative programs and
policies. The 2013 Municipal Government Sustainability Management plan outlines goals,
objectives and strategies to guide the City organization on a long-term sustainable path. A
goal related to water use says, “Reduce municipal operations water irrigation use and
increase efficiency per acre. Reduce building water use by 20 percent by 2020.” Actions
taken in 2013 toward this goal include:
City Buildings
• Performed indoor and outdoor water audits at 215
Mason, 281 N. College and the Senior Center. Toilets
were retrofitted and sprinkler efficiency increased by
changes in scheduling, and installation of high
efficiency nozzles and pressure-reducing heads.
• Replaced turf with xeriscape plantings along the Elm
St. parkway strip at the Utilities Service Center.
• City Council mandated that construction of new City-
owned buildings achieve Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) “Gold” certification to
raise the bar for energy efficiency and environmental design, including water
conservation credits.
Parks Department Water Use Efficiency
Water consumption data was collected and analyzed throughout the parks system. Using
evapotranspiration (ET) readings, rainfall and water use readings, Parks calculates the
landscape area’s need for water and the amount of water that was actually applied.
The ET rate during the 2013 irrigation season was 26.72 inches; effective rainfall was
calculated at 6.23 inches. Water need was 20.49 inches or 556,406 gallons per acre. The
average water use for all park areas was 83 percent of the irrigation water needed.
In 2013, Parks found that:
• 10 parks used over 95 percent of water need
• 34 parks used under 95 percent of water need
• Of the 34 parks, 31 used under 90 percent of water need
Audits are performed at sites when more than 95 percent of the area’s water need is used for
two consecutive months. During 2013, six sites were audited.
When designing new community and neighborhood parks, water-efficient practices are
incorporated, such as low water use turf in low traffic areas. For example, areas of a park that
are designated for stormwater flows are ideal for types of grasses that do not need a lot of
water, fertilizer or mowing. These areas also provide a different visual aspect to the park,
creating unstructured play areas and enhancing the environmental value of the park. High
traffic areas use durable, water-efficient varieties of turfgrass. Whenever possible, raw water
is used for irrigating turf. Irrigation designers work closely with the park design team to
make sure the irrigation system is efficient and uses the latest technology, including high
efficiency nozzles, rain sensors and centralized controllers.
Planting Elm St. Parkway
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 14
Graywater Research and Legislation
Graywater consists of wastewater from indoor activities such as laundry facilities, but
excludes wastewater from toilet flushing and other waste streams that may threaten public
health and the environment.
On May 15, 2013, Governor Hickenlooper signed House Bill 13-1044, authorizing the use of
graywater in Colorado. Before graywater use will be allowed in Fort Collins, the Colorado
Department of Health and Environment’s Water Quality Control Division must develop
regulations to control its use. The rulemaking is expected to be complete in 2015.
Graywater systems vary from simple, low-cost systems to highly complex and costly
systems. Sophisticated systems treat graywater prior to disposal using settling tanks and sand
filters in order to remove pollutants and pathogens. According to CSU, residential graywater
use for toilet flushing and landscape watering could reduce water demand by 30 percent.
Some commercial businesses have the potential to saves millions of gallons of treated water
annually by implementing projects to reuse effluent and process water.
Graywater Use in Fort Collins
Bill 13-1044 does not require municipalities or counties to implement a graywater
program unless they choose to do so. Fort Collins is interested in pursuing graywater use.
The City’s Building Department will track and oversee installation of systems within the
city limits through issuing building permits and performing inspections at the time of
installation. Larimer County’s Department of Health and Environment will oversee
graywater systems outside the city limits.
Graywater Research
In anticipation of the passage of the graywater law, Utilities entered into a two-year
agreement with CSU’s College of Engineering to continue their graywater research and
to perform other tasks to support graywater use. In the months since, staff has
collaborated with CSU and participated in stakeholder groups to adopt reasonable
regulations that protect public health while promoting the use of graywater systems.
Collaboration and Regional Participation
The water conservation program is enhanced through partnerships with other City
departments, local businesses and regional and national organizations.
• Continued the free toilet recycling program in 2013, diverting tons of porcelain from the
landfill. The program is a partnership between the Utilities, Environmental Services and
Streets departments. The recycling center moved from ReSource (which closed) to
Habitat ReStore, 4001 S. Taft Hill Rd. Customers drop off their high water-using toilets
and Streets Department crushes them into road base.
• Contributed to Sustainability Services’ new Healthy Sustainable Homes program, training
volunteers about available water conservation programs and providing materials for
assessments.
• Participated in the Water Research Foundation’s Commercial End Uses of Water Study.
The purpose of the project is to provide water utilities with a better understanding of the
amount of water used by their commercial, institutional and industrial (CII) customers by
category and by end use. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 15
• Collaborated with the University of Arizona to plan for a Conserve to Enhance program
in Fort Collins. Conserve to Enhance links water savings from conservation projects to
environmental restoration by gathering donated funds from water customers and using
them for restoration projects. After careful consideration, Utilities decided to not pursue
this program as a water conservation project. However, there is some interest in alternate
programs to raise funds for river restoration projects.
• Promoted the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense
program through rebates, articles and events. WaterSense promotes
and enhances water-efficient products and services. Utilities is a
WaterSense promotional partner.
Orgaanization Participation
• Board member of Colorado WaterWise, a statewide organization with a mission to
promote the efficient use of Colorado’s water. Sponsored the WaterWise Summit in
October.
• Member of the Rocky Mountain Section American Water Works Association’s Water
Conservation Committee.
• Member of the Alliance for Water Efficiency’s Education and Outreach, and WaterSense
and Water Efficient Products committees.
• Member of the Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) Promotions Working
Group. SWAT is a national partnership of water purveyors and irrigation industry
representatives to promote state-of-the-art irrigation technologies.
• Member of the International Code Council’s Landscape Irrigation Development Panel,
charged with setting sprinkler equipment design and performance standards.
Professional Presentations
• Made presentations to various organizations, including, ProGreen, Associated Landscape
Contractors of Colorado, CityWorks and Business Innovation Fair.
• Made presentations at conferences:
Sustaining Colorado Watersheds (Oct.): Water Restrictions: An Educational
Approach to a Mandate
North American Alliance for Environmental Education (Oct.): An Educational
Approach to a Mandate
Water Smart Innovations (Oct.): Empowering Customers to Act–Advanced Meter
Fort Collins
Irrigation Association (Nov.): Water Restrictions Can be Positive: An Educational
Approach to a Mandate and Fort Collins Sprinkler Audit Program
How Are We Doing?
Total Program Water Savings
Starting in 2013, total water savings has been calculated for measurable water conservation
programs, including rebates, sprinkler audits, equipment distribution, retrofits and Building
Code regulations. The water savings are calculated based on savings estimates for each type
of measure, called “deemed savings.” The deemed savings is taken from various water use
studies. In 2013, the verifiable water savings from programs was 30.6 million gallons, just
over 93 acre feet per year.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 16
Sustainability Information Management System
A Sustainable Information Management System (SIMS) tracks program participation and
resulting energy and water savings. The SIMS online tool was used to analyze 2013 water
savings from residential water rebate programs and sprinkler audits based on bill analysis of
customers that received rebates versus customers that did not. The table below shows savings
calculated from the bill analysis.
Water Use Savings by Measure
Program/Measure
Utility Bill Analysis Savings
Avg. Savings
(gal/yr)
Median Savings
(gal/yr)
Indoor
Rebates
WaterSense Toilet 5,550 3,880
Dishwasher 1,350 970
Clothes Washer 5,550 3,880
Sprinkler
Equipment
Rebates
Rain Sensor 9,810 4,520
Nozzle & Head 2,013 1,385
Controller 23,470 13,450
Sprinkler Audit 13,840 8,670
ClimateWise Water Savings
During 2013, ClimateWise grew by 52 businesses, for a total of 352 partners. The partners
reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 171,000 metric tons CO2e in 2013. Since 2000,
ClimateWise partners have saved 12 billion gallons of water.
Two ClimateWise partners stood out with their water conservation
projects. Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee
National Grasslands worked with their building's property manager to
adjust the irrigation schedule and controls, resulting in a savings of
almost 1.4 million gallons of water, a 68 percent reduction in outdoor
use. Faith Evangelical-Free Church replaced 36 toilets with 1.28 gpf
models and expects to save over 13,000 gallons annually.
Evaluating Water Use
The water use trend continues to be significantly lower than pre-2002 drought (1993-2001)
demands. Tiered and seasonal water rates, and water conservation efforts, contribute to this
trend. How much of the lower usage can be attributed to the City’s water conservation
measures is difficult to analyze. For almost 20 years, low-flow plumbing standards and
metered water taps have contributed to the reduction of per capita water use.
Per capita water use can vary for many reasons; population is not the sole determinant of
water use. Changes in weather, season, household size and income can also contribute.
Precipitation levels and daily temperatures during the watering season cause water use to
vary considerably from year to year. For Fort Collins, the first graph on the next page shows
the percentage of water used indoors versus outdoors by year for all water use. Indoor water
use remains fairly consistent while outdoor water use fluctuates. In 2013, outdoor water use
was 32 percent of total use, compared with 40 percent in 2012. The second graph compares
indoor and total water use for single family homes.
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 17
39%
39%
36% 36%
39%
32%
39%
36%
39%
35%
41%
38%
36%
32%
31%
34%
40%
36%
34%
28%
35% 34%
40%
32%
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Millions of Gallons
Estimated Indoor and Outdoor Water Use
Estimated Outdoor Use
Estimated Indoor Use
88.6 100.2 95.2
112
90
60.9
56.3 52.3
53.8 51.1
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Single Family Homes GPCD
Total gpcd Indoor gpcd
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 18
Historic Water Use Per Person1
Year Actual Use
(gpcd)
Normalized
Average Use2
(gpcd)
Actual
Peak Day Use
(gpc)
1 in 50
Normalized
Peak Day Use3
(gpc)
2002 183 189 378 411
2003 154 157 346 383
2004 146 150 307 327
2005 155 155 365 363
2006 172 156 353 350
2007 162 156 342 356
2008 153 153 321 333
2009 135 147 265 304
2010 146 144 295 323
2011 141 144 285 289
2012 165 152 342 315
2013 141 147 312 303
Notes:
1. Values do not include large contractual water use.
2. Normalized values represent average expected use for 1930-1995 weather conditions.
3. 1 in 50 peak use is expected to occur once in 50 years.
Historic Annual Water Use
Year
Service Area
Population
Annual
Precipitation
(inches)
Annual Water
Use
(MG)
Average Day
Use
(MGD)
Peak Day Use
(MGD)
2002 123,700 9.3 9,599 26.2 51.4
2003 125,500 18.2 8,280 22.6 46.9
2004 125,800 18.1 7,984 21.8 42.3
2005 126,900 16.2 8,497 23.3 50.1
2006 127,800 11.2 9,268 25.4 48.9
2007 128,400 13.7 8,860 24.2 47.5
2008 128,700 13.8 8,352 22.8 44.3
2009 128,900 21.9 7,391 20.2 37.1
2010 129,000 14.1 7,830 21.4 40.8
2011 129,100 17.8 7,621 20.8 39.7
2012 129,200 10.8 8,757 23.9 46.8
2013 129,300 18.8 7,560 20.7 43.0
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 19
Number of Accounts by Customer Class
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Single-Family 26,658 26,627 26,588 26,605 26,654
Duplex 1,165 1,175 1,191 1,205 1,217
Multi-Family 2,146 2,154 2,165 2,180 2,204
Commercial 2,162 2,184 2,186 2,192 2,174
City Government 214 208 208 212 213
West Fort Collins WD 1 1 1 1 1
Outside City Customers 1,423 1,414 1,415 1,419 1,427
Total 33,769 33,762 33,754 33,814 33,889
Water Use by Customer Class
(Million Gallons)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Single-Family 2,318.1 2,619.1 2,475.3 2,915.8 2,347
Duplex 119.0 134.0 130.9 146.4 127.8
Multi-Family 914.1 1,000.2 980.2 1,048.2 1,096.6
Commercial 3,023.4 3,095.3 3,057.8 3,330.5 2,924.6
City Government 87.3 122.8 108.0 148.1 100.4
West Fort Collins WD 142.2 168.3 146.9 169.9 154.1
Outside City Customers 238.9 263.8 259.5 303.4 274.7
System Losses 548.2 426.5 462.1 695.1 534.9
Total 7,391.1 7,830.1 7,620.7 8,757.4 7,560.1
Water Use per Account by Customer Class
(Gallons per Year)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Single-Family 86,957 98,363 93,097 109,594 88,056
Duplex 102,105 114,085 109,886 121,518 104,999
Multi-Family 426,000 464,338 452,038 480,866 497,632
Commercial 1,398,439 1,417,338 1,397,962 1,519,134 1,345,089
City Government 407,309 591,785 519,674 699,082 472,134
Outside City
Customers 167,827 186,599 183,365 213,772 192,547
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 20
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12
Acre-Feet
Year
Annual Treated Water Use
1960-2013
WTF#2
WTF#1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13
MGD
Year
Peak Day Use
1961-2013
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 21
.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12
Inches
Year
Historic Annual Precipitation Fort Collins
1960-2013
1981-2010 Average Precipitation=16.08
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Inches
Month
2013 Precipitation
2013 Precipitation (18.81")
81-'10 Average Precipitation (16.08")
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 22
Attachment ‘A’
Fort Collins Utilities Water Conservation Plan: Recommended Measures
Measure
Customers Water Use Date
RSF RMF CII City Indoor Outdoor Started
Education and Public Information
Conservation public information campaign X X X X X X 1977
Adult education programs X X X X 1977
Business environmental programs X X X X 2004
School education programs X X X X 1977
Conservation giveaways X X X X 1990
Water conservation awards X X X X X X 2013
Water Rates and Usage Information
Increasing block rate – Res. X X X 2003
Seasonal rates – Comm. & multi-family X X X X X 2003
Online access to water history X X X X X Future
Online water use calculator X X X 2012
Indoor Fixtures and Appliances -
Residential
Residential clothes washer rebates X X X 2003
High efficiency toilet rebates X X X 2010
Dishwasher rebates X X X 2007
Low income retrofit program X X X 2007
On-bill financing X X 1994
Research: Water end use study X X X 2011
Outdoor Efficiency - Landscapes and
Irrigation
Sprinkler system audits X X 1999
Xeriscape Demonstration Garden X X X X X 1986
Xeriscape design clinics X X X 2009
Irrigation technology rebates X X X X 2010
Raw water for irrigation at parks, cemeteries
and golf courses
X X 1900
Research: Determine irrigated area for lots X X X X X 2012
Indoor Fixtures and Appliances - Comm.,
Indust., Institutional (CII)
CII facility audits X X X 2004
Commercial clothes washer rebates X X 2011
Commercial toilet and urinal rebates X X 2011
Financial incentives for commercial water-
saving upgrades
X X X 2011
Hotel and restaurant conservation materials X X 2003
Restaurant pre-rinse spray valve distribution X X 2011
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 23
Measure
Customers Water Use Date
RSF RMF CII City Indoor Outdoor Started
Water Reuse Systems
Large customer reuse X X X X 1980
Backwash recycling at water treatment facility X 2003
Regulatory Measures
Wasting water ordinance X X X X X X 1964
Restrictive covenants ordinance X X 2003
Soil amendment ordinance X X X X X 2003
Water Shortage Response Plan X X X X X X 2003
Landscape & irrigation standards for new
development
X X X X 1994
Operational Measures
Utility water loss program X 1993
Water loss program enhancement X Future
Water conservation upgrades at City LEED
buildings
X X X 2006
Water conservation upgrades at City facilities X X X 2010
Key:
RSF – Residential Single Family
RMF – Residential Multi-family
CII – Commercial, Industrial, Institutional
City – City government
Indoor – affects indoor water use
Outdoor – affects outdoor water use
Future – future measure
2013 Water Conservation Annual Report 24
st
Century, with a mission of
“inspiring community leadership by
reducing environmental impact while
benefiting customers, society and the
economy.”
Fort Collins Utilities’ water conservation
programs provide our community with
the resources and education necessary to
decrease our environmental impact while
also reducing long-term costs of water
supply while meeting the demands of
our customers now and into the future.