HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/22/2020 - Memorandum From Lisa Rosintoski And Mariel Miller Re: 2020 Sprinkler Audit 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: December 15, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
FROM: Lisa Rosintoski, Deputy Director, Utilities Customer Connections
Mariel Miller, Interim Water Conservation Manager
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director
RE: 2020 Sprinkler Audit Program Annual Report
Bottom Line: Water Conservation completed a successful 2020 Residential Sprinkler Audit
Season, conducting 359 residential sprinkler audits across Fort Collins Utilities (Utilities), Fort
Collins-Loveland (FCLWD) and East Larimer County (ELCO) water districts from July through
September 2020. The table below illustrates where audits occurred within each water district,
both inside and outside the city limits, in 2020.
Location Utilities ELCO FCLWD Total
Inside city limits 176 (49%) 20 (6%) 95 (26%) 291 (81%)
Outside city limits 3 (1%) 14 (4%) 51 (14%) 68 (19%)
Total 179 (50%) 34 (10%) 146 (40%) 359 (100%)
2020 Program Highlights:
Due to COVID-19, the season was delayed by one month, resulting in a 25% reduction in
the amount of days available for scheduled audits compared to last year; however, the
number of audits completed was only 18% less.
Audited about 1,327,000 square feet of turf, resulting in 4,100,000 gallons of water
savings.
98.8% of audits exceeded or met customer expectations according to post-audit customer
survey.
94% of customers made changes to their system or controller post-audit.
Post-audit customer report turn-around time averaged 2.1 days after sprinkler audits were
conducted.
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11,773 sprinkler heads were inspected (80% were reported to be in good condition, with
the remaining 20% exhibiting operational problems).
This year Water Conservation implemented the following program enhancements and made
changes in response to COVID-19:
GIS software was used more exclusively, rather than managing multiple data collection
software while conducting audits. Consolidated GIS software streamlined auditors’ data
collection processes in the field and report creation in the office.
Pre-audit customer outreach regarding COVID-19 protocols and customer screening
questions were utilized to ensure safe audits for customers and staff.
Auditors were trained by Safety and Risk Management staff on personal protection
equipment use and how to minimize exposure for both customers and staff and still
provide effective audits.
Background: Utilities’ Sprinkler Audit Program began in 1999, offering free 90-minute audits
to residential customers. An audit includes a thorough visual inspection of the system, a custom
watering schedule, and recommended upgrades and repairs. Over the last 22 years we have
conducted 6,834 audits and reduced 87.1 million gallons of water. Annually, the program
contributes to around 80% of Water Conservation’s reported savings from residential outdoor
water use programs and services. In a typical year, we hire about four seasonal interns. In total,
we have hired approximately 59 auditors, a few of which have gone on to full-time positions
with the City.
Over the years staff have evolved the program to incorporate new technology, adapt to customer
preferences, and increase program effectiveness. Starting in 2009, staff expanded the education
and outreach provided by the program to assist customers within FCLWD. Staff now also partner
with ELCO and provide audits to FCLWD and ELCO districts’ customers who reside outside of
Fort Collins’ city limits and Growth Management Area.
Please find the 2020 Sprinkler Audit Program’s annual report attached.
You can find the Program’s waitlist, where customers can sign up now for an audit next year,
and more information at: fcgov.com/sprinkler-audits.
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
1
BACKGROUND
2020 marked the 22nd year of the Fort Collins Sprinkler Audit program, which provides free water efficiency evaluations
of residential sprinkler systems. These 90-minute consults cover system efficiency, optimal operation and potential
water-saving upgrades. Auditors 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 repairs. Over the years, this 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:
• Support of the Fort Collins Utilities and other water districts’ Water Efficiency Plans
• Reducing peak usage, which drives overall water utilities’ 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
PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
359 sprinkler systems across three water districts were audited in 2020. This is 18% less than the audits completed in
2019, but the 2020 sprinkler audit season was shorter than the 2019 season by 25%. The 2020 audit season started one
month later compared to 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the delay, the 2020 program goal was adjusted to
300 audits, which was exceed by 20%. In 2020, July was the busiest month of the season with 172 audits, which is over
43 audits per week.
Number of sprinkler audits by Water District and month (2020)
Jun Jul Aug Sep Total
Utilities 10 58 77 34 179
FCLWD 2 97 45 2 146
ELCO 1 17 13 3 34
Total 13 172 135 39 359
359
Total Audits
Completed
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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Auditors used an online application and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) to collect unique data at each
site and provide the following program results:
• Audited 1,327,813 square feet (23 football fields) of
turf
• Reduced usage by 4,100,217 gallons (equivalent to
water use of about 49 homes for one year1)
• Changed schedules on 41% of controllers to be more
efficient
• Averaged a 2.1-day turnaround from sprinkler audit
completion to customer report deliver
Participation from FCLWD customers was greater in 2020 compared to 2019, despite a 25% shorter audit season, with
26 more appointments than in 2019. The agreement with FCLWD was updated when the season started to include
additional audits (125 to 150) to accommodate the large volume of FCLWD customer participants. This likely is due in
large part to increased promotion by FCLWD, who hired a communications and marketing firm to coordinate with Fort
Collins Utilities this year, to help promote the program to their customers.
1 Water Conservation 2017 Annual Report states that the average home water usage in Utilities’ Water service area is approx. 84,066 gallons/yr.
2 The ‘gallons reduced’ estimates were calculated using irrigation events observed through hourly water usage data. Gallons and days per week for
irrigation events were compared before and after the audit date. A coefficient for gallons saved per square foot of audited area was established
and then multiplied to reflect the savings over the average 16-week irrigation season. In previous years, staff has used a coefficient based on
savings per audit, which is not as accurate due to a wide range in property sizes. 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.
3 The ‘controllers changed’ estimates are conservative as they only consider audits where the auditor or the homeowner re-programmed the
controller during the audit. There are likely customers who later reprogrammed the controller and made repairs or upgrades to their system that
also resulted in water conservation.
Water
Service
District
Average area
audited per home
(sq. ft.)
Completed
Audits
Total area audited
(sq. ft.)
Estimated water
reduction (gal)2
Controllers
changed (%)3
Utilities 3,554 179 636,231 2,044,398 39%
FCLWD 3,863 146 564,004 1,667,498 44%
ELCO 3,752 34 127,578 388,321 39%
Total 3,697 359 1,327,813 4,100,217 41%
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
Following each audit, customers are sent an online satisfaction survey to gather information about the value of the
audit, what was learned and what changes were made post-audit. We received 82 responses; 70 indicated that the audit
exceeded expectations4.
98.8% of Audits Exceeded or Met Customer Expectations
Customer Comments
“Such an amazing program- my friends in other water districts are jealous when they hear what we have access to
here in Fort Collins. I learned a lot, my grass already looks greener, AND I immediately reduced my water usage
significantly. It sounds impossible but it is not.”
-Miranda M, Utilities Customer
“Thorough evaluation, super helpful edits to my system, and not even 2 weeks later many of the dead spots in my
grass are green again. Awesome!!”
-Jon E, Utilities Customer
“A most worthwhile program with specially trained, congenial staff! Bravo to the City of Fort Collins!”
-Stanley J, ELCO Customer
“[The auditors] have answered my follow up email questions as well which has been very helpful in tweaking my
system and ensuring I am saving water and still maintaining my lawn.”
-Anne T, Utilities Customer
“Shared my report/collateral with a friend from Loveland who was quite impressed! Thanks for all you do [the
auditor] was just great and this service is awesome.”
-Pam S, Utilities Customer
“[The audit] provided a tremendous amount of useful information and [the auditor] was great to work with”
-Sherry C, FCLWD Customer
4 One “fell short” survey response was received from a customer who felt that there was not enough discussion and that the auditor did not
provide enough product information. The respondent remained anonymous and staff were not able to follow up with them.
22.8%
Response
Rate
85.4%
Exceeded
13.4%
Met
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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RESPONSE TO COVID-19
Training
Training conducted in the office and in the field was done with caution; all staff involved wore proper personal
protective equipment (PPE) and maintained distance when possible. Water Conservation staff worked with Safety & Risk
Management staff prior to auditors starting to ensure in-person training with auditors was done safely and risks were
minimized. Once training began, Safety & Risk Management advised auditors 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 auditor, staff
engaged with customers prior to their scheduled sprinkler
audit. By email and phone, staff asked 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. Anyone who had COVID-19 themselves or
had been exposed to someone developing illness had their
appointment canceled and were asked to reschedule. Pre-
audit outreach emails to customers also set expectations
for COVID-19 precautionary procedures taken by auditors
during the appointment. Pre-audit outreach creates
transparency between customers and staff, keeping both
parties safe.
94% of customers
made changes to their
system or controller
post-audit.
57% of customers
learned what the
cycle-soak method
was.
72% improved
controller settings
(implementing cycle-
soak, reducing days per
week, etc.)
52% replaced sprinkler
heads and/or nozzles
post-audit.
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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Sprinkler Audits
Auditors were masked during all interactions with
customers and while inside garages, where controllers are
generally housed. Customers were given the option to
complete the audit over the phone while they stay inside,
or to come outside while staying masked and maintaining
10 feet of distance from the auditor. Auditors
communicated with the customer that staying distanced
and masked is a priority. Once an audit was complete, the
auditor disinfected the controller and left a bag with water
conservation reading materials and program brochures at
the customer’s door. Pre-audit and post-audit, the auditors
applied hand sanitizer as a preventative measure. COVID-
19 precautions paired with routine audit procedures, helped ensure safe and effective audits during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS
The 2020 season was the third season that incorporated the use of GIS as part of the data collection process and audit
report map production for customers. Staff learned a lot from the past two years of integrating GIS. An enhancement for
the 2020 season was the ability for auditors to use the GIS software more exclusively, rather than managing multiple
data collection software while conducting audits. This helped streamline the data collection process. Auditors continued
to collect spatial data in the field that captures the characteristics of each audited sprinkler system. The resultant GIS
maps are useful for cataloging recommended repairs and upgrades and can be used to help identify zones that would be
ideal for conversion to less water intensive landscapes.
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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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
Dynamic map legend
that updates
automatically to
reflect the sprinkler
system of interest
Ability to
map drip
lines
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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Common Problems
A total of 11,773 sprinkler heads were inspected in
the 2020 season, including 9,516 (80%) in good
condition, with the remaining 2,257 (20%)
exhibiting operational problems. The two most
common problems in every water district were
broken heads and high pressure. 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 high volume. High water pressure
can result in uneven spray patterns, high
evaporation rates and inefficient water use. Some
areas receive more water than they need, and other
areas do not receive as much as they should.
Reducing sprinkler head pressure creates an even
distribution of water with head-to-head coverage.
Monthly Landscape Water Budgets
Landscape Water Budgets were included in customers’ audit
reports for the third year in 2020. The landscape 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 and daily climate data. If excess
water usage occurred in 2019, the utility bill savings
opportunities, in gallons and dollars, is included below the
graph to provide an estimate of potential annual savings had
there been no excess water use.
Landscape
Water
Budget
Daily climate
data
Irrigated area
of turf
Up to two
years of daily
water use
data
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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Example of the landscape water budget graph that indicates estimated indoor water use,
efficient outdoor water use, excess water use and efficient total water use.
DISTRICT CLASSIFICATIONS
Number and percent of 2020 sprinkler audits
Location Utilities ELCO FCLWD Total
Inside city limits 176 (49%) 20 (6%) 95 (26%) 291 (81%)
Outside city limits 3 (1%) 14 (4%) 51 (14%) 68 (19%)
Total 179 (50%) 34 (10%) 146 (40%) 359 (100%)
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Jan-17Feb-17Mar-17Apr-17May-17Jun-17Jul-17Aug-17Sep-17Oct-17Nov-17Dec-17Jan-18Feb-18Mar-18Apr-18May-18Jun-18Jul-18Aug-18Sep-18Oct-18Nov-18Dec-18Jan-19Feb-19Mar-19Apr-19May-19Jun-19Your Water Use (Gallons)
Indoor Water Use Efficient Outdoor Water Use Excess Water Use Efficient Water Use
Estimated Annual Savings (Gal): 24,700 Estimated Annual Savings: $79 -$90
Estimated Irrigated
Area (sq ft):3,468
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Fort Collins Utilities Sprinkler Audit Program 2020
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Locations of 2020 sprinkler audits
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