Water Conservation
Annual Report
2012
Poudre Watershed Tour – July 2012
Water Conservation in Fort Collins
Welcome to the 21th annual Water Conservation Report which is prepared for the Fort Collins
City Council and provides details regarding the City’s water conservation efforts. The report
includes a review of accomplishments, partnerships, water use and an update on the
provisions of the City’s Water Conservation Plan.
The City views the water conservation program as a proactive response to supply variability
and climate change. Reducing indoor demand through improved technology, leak reduction
and behavior change will improve system reliability and resilience to supply variability year
round. Reducing outdoor demand through improved watering efficiency and landscape
transformation improves reliability during summer months when demand peaks, providing
additional water availability for storage and environmental flows.
The water conservation program is complimented by Fort Collins Utilities’ sustainability
initiative, Utility for the 21st Century, which is “Inspiring community leadership by reducing
environmental impact while benefiting customers, society and the economy.” Fort Collins
Utilities’ water conservation efforts provide our community with the resources and education
necessary to decrease our environmental impact while also reducing long-term costs of water
supply in meeting the demands of our customers.
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, Resolution 2012-099.
The policy 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 policy which
set the goals at 185 gpcd for water demand and 475 gpc for peak daily demand by 2010.
The 2012 policy 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 in this semi-arid region.
The review and update of the policy was completed in 2012 with a community working
group helping to draft the new policy. A landscape preference survey and presentations to
interested organizations, including the Water Board, also provided input.
Water Conservation Plan
In 2010, the City’s Water Conservation Plan was approved by the Colorado Water
Conservation Board to comply with the State’s Water Conservation Act of 2004. The plan
reflects specific measures related to the demand management criteria outlined in the
Water Supply and Demand Management Policy.
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City Council approved the recommended measures in the 2011-2012 budgets. The plan
sets a demand goal of 140 gpcd, a decrease from the 185 gpcd goal in the policy. A copy
of the plan is located at fcgov.com/waterconservationplan. The table below shows the
projected water savings from implementing the measures in the plan.
Water Conservation Plan: Summary of Forecast Demand & Savings
Forecast
Pre-2002
(1998-2001)
Baseline
(2003-2007)
Pre-2010 Program
Water Conservation
Plan Program
Average Use
(Ac-ft/year)
2020 Forecast
Demand
(Ac-ft/year)
Savings vs.
Pre-2002 Use
(Ac-ft/year)
Savings vs.
Baseline Use
(Ac-ft/year)
34,000
39,700
N/A
N/A
27,500
31,800
7,900
N/A
N/A
30,800
8,900
1,000
N/A
29,500
10,200
2,300
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, the type of measure and if it’s
a current measure or one to be implemented in the future.
Water Supply
The City receives its water supplies from the Cache la Poudre,
Michigan and Colorado River basins. The Poudre River basin
sources include very 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 City’s water treatment plant,
along with other Poudre sources.
The City also owns units of the Colorado-Big Thompson
(C-BT) Project, administered by the Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District (Northern Water). 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
water demands. Including all sources, the City currently owns water rights that have an
average annual yield of approximately 74,000 acre-feet (AF) per year. Per City Council
policy, Utilities maintains sufficient water supply to meet an average annual treated water
demand of approximately 32,000 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.
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The City’s water treatment facility has the flexibility to mitigate water quality issues by
mixing more of one water source or the other at different times of the year. Both sources have
raw water quality issues, but through blending, the resultant mixture provides high quality
water for treatment.
The 2012 Fires
Hot, dry conditions resulted in two significant
fires that affected the Poudre River watershed in
2012. Ignited from accidental human cause, the
Hewlett Gulch Fire in the Poudre Canyon started
May 14 and burned 7,685 acres. The High Park
Fire was a wildfire in the mountains west of Fort
Collins. It was started June 9 by a lightning strike
and was declared 100 percent contained June 30.
The fire burned over 87,250 acres, becoming the second-largest fire in recorded Colorado
history by area burned, after the 2002 Hayman Fire. It destroyed at least 259 homes and
took one life.
Rains over the burn areas caused the Poudre River to be filled with ash and debris. As a
result, Utilities closed its intake in the Poudre Canyon to prevent the soiled water from
entering the treatment facility. For over three months, Utilities relied on its C-BT water
supplies and didn’t take water from the Poudre.
Weather and Water Use
Mountain snowpack was well below average, with a historic low of 23 percent of average
by May 1. The Joe Wright SNOTEL station recorded a maximum snow water equivalent
of a scant 13.6 inches in early March, which was nearly gone by early May when the
typical peak snowpack occurs. The low snowpack conditions caused the native Poudre
River flows to be well below average at around 109,300 AF, about one-third of the
average flow.
Temperatures during 2012 were some of the highest in recorded history, with a mean
daily temperature of 53.5 degrees Fahrenheit (about 5 degrees over the average). Total
precipitation for the year was well below average at 10.8 inches, with only two months
above average in July and September.
Total water demand was 26,875 AF, about 106 percent of projected due to the hot, dry
weather. The City’s peak day use of 46.8 million gallons occurred on June 22, which was
earlier than the usual peak that occurs in early July. Daily per capita use was
approximately 166 gpcd, compared to 141 gpcd in 2011, which reflects the extreme
weather conditions.
Water Restrictions
Northern Water issued an initial 50 percent quota in November 2011, a supplemental
quota of 40 percent in April 2012, and given the hot, dry conditions another supplemental
quota of 10 percent in May for a total of 100 percent quota for the C-BT system.
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The higher quota helped the City provide an adequate water supply through this
extremely dry year without the need for mandatory water restrictions. The maximum
amount of water was reserved for use in 2013 and no additional storage was available to
capture any saved water.
However, toward the end of 2012, Utilities became concerned about the availability of
water supplies going into 2013. It was uncertain how much water we would be able to
draw from the Poudre River because of the fire-related water quality degradation and
supplies in the C-BT project reservoirs were low. Therefore, water restriction scenarios
for 2013 were being evaluated as part of a Water Supply Management Action Plan to
prepare if the water supply conditions triggered the need to implement water restrictions.
Most years, when projections indicate that supplies will be in excess of demands, Utilities
rents water (mostly C-BT) to local agricultural users. However, due to the water supply
uncertainties for 2013, Utilities notified the agriculture renters in November that no C-BT
rentals were planned for 2013.
2012 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 youth and adults, residents and businesses.
•
Public Information Campaign: distributed
xeriscape, lawn watering and other conservation
information.
 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 conservation programs and Year of
Water 2012 campaign on KRFC radio show.
 Advertised water conservation messages on bus
benches, bus shelters and in the local newspaper.
 Displayed materials at various events, including
Chamber Showcase, EnvirOvation, Gardens on
Spring Creek’s Harvest Festival and Colorado
WaterWise’s annual workshop.
 Spring and fall campaigns brought water and energy conservation displays and
materials to home improvement stores and farmers markets through the Make
Efficient Choices campaign. Offered two $250 sprinkler system upgrades as
drawing prizes.
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 Promoted Fix a Leak Week in March with a mayoral proclamation and leak
detection and repair information.
 Made presentations to various organizations, including, ProGreen, Associated
Landscape Contractors of Colorado, CityWorks and Business Innovation Fair.
•
Conservation Giveaways: offered freebies to our customers.
 Provided water conservation kits with showerheads, faucet aerators and toilet leak
detection dye tablets. Shower timers, hose nozzles and leak detection kits were
also given away.
•
Online Water Use Calculator: new tool for customers in 2012.
 Offered customers an online water use calculator 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.
•
Xeriscape Education: promoted the use of low water-using landscapes.
 Offered two presentations, Xeriscape from the Ground Up
and Xeriscape by Design as part of the Residential
Environmental Program Series.
 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.
 Co-sponsored the ninth annual High Plains Landscape
Workshop with a sold-out crowd of nearly 300 people
attending presentations on a variety of landscape topics
appropriate to our semi-arid climate.
•
Irrigation Education: provided education about wise-watering practices.
 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.
 Held sprinkler system workshops at local retail stores.
 During 2012, provided 115 customers with consultations regarding sprinkler
equipment, performance and maintenance.
•
Commercial Education: provided businesses with water-efficiency information.
 New in 2012, the BizEd series offered programs to businesses about
environmental issues. Three water programs included Year of Water 2012,
Rates and Rebates, and Living in a Watershed.
 A Business Innovation Fair in October had a display with information about
saving water indoors and outdoors and City programs offered to help customers
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
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be more sustainable. A program was presented offering businesses strategies to
improve water efficiency.
•
School Education Programs: offered students a variety of ways to learn about water
in their community.
 Presented classroom programs to elementary and junior high students about local
water history, watershed studies, microbiology and water chemistry.
 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.
 Co-sponsored the 21st annual Children’s Water Festival. This fun event provided
water education to over 1,700 third graders. Students spent half a day at Colorado
State University (CSU) learning all about water, attending classroom
presentations and a hands-on exhibit hall.
2. Water Rates and Usage Information
Rate structures can provide an economic incentive to use water efficiently. The tiered and
seasonal rate structures send a strong conservation message to customers.
•
Increasing Block Rate: the three-tiered water rates for single-family and duplex
customers increased 6 percent in 2012.
•
Seasonal Rate: with higher rates from May through September, commercial and
multi-family customers experienced an increase of 6 percent in 2012. In addition,
commercial water rates also have a second tier based on higher water use.
3. Indoor Fixtures and Appliances: Residential
Incentive programs typically provide rebates, loans, services or goods to customers to
encourage use of more efficient technology.
•
Clothes Washer Rebates: offered a $50 rebate when customers purchase a highefficiency, ENERGY STAR® qualified clothes washer. Utilities gave 993 rebates
during 2012. The new washers resulted in an estimated water savings of over 4.8
million gallons per year.
•
Dishwasher Rebates: offered a $25 rebate for high-efficiency, ENERGY STAR
qualified dishwashers. During 2012, Utilities gave 635 rebates; resulting in a savings
of about 220,000 gallons per year.
•
Toilet Rebates: offered $35 for the purchase of a WaterSense labeled toilet and $15
for recycling the old toilet. In 2012, 912 rebates were given. Of the 912 rebates, 743
(81percent) recycled their old toilets. At a maximum of 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf),
these toilets use 20 percent less water compared to the standard 1.6 gpf toilet. Average
flush volume of the old toilets was 3.46 gpf, which means a savings of 2.19 gallons
for each flush. Annual water savings from the rebates is 4.7 million gallons.
•
Double Rebates: offered double rebates for clothes washers, dishwashers and toilets
during the spring/summer campaign, April 1-July 31. During the fall campaign, from
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October 1 to December 31, double rebates were offered for clothes washers and
dishwashers and a rebate of $10 for the purchase of a WaterSense labeled
showerhead. The double rebate promotions resulted in 290 washer, 195 dishwasher,
492 toilet and 27 showerhead rebates.
•
Zero-interest Loans: offered for purchasing high-efficiency clothes washers and
replacing water service lines. During 2012, loans totaling $10,060 were issued for
five water service lines. During 2012, this program transformed into a program titled
On-bill Financing, which offers 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 2012.
•
Low Income Retrofit Program: participated in Larimer County Conservation Corps’
retrofit program by providing showerheads, faucet aerators, toilet tank bags and
shower timers for the 275 homes that received retrofits. In addition, 26 WaterSense
labeled toilets were installed to replace high water use models. The Conservation
Corps estimates the retrofits will save about 3 million gallons of water annually.
•
Home Efficiency Audits: offered to homeowners to learn what measures are best to
improve the home’s energy and water efficiency. During the third year of the program
in 2012, 592 audits were conducted.
4. Outdoor Efficiency: Landscapes and Irrigation
•
Xeriscape Demonstration Garden: hosted
a garden party in July. Master Gardeners
provided guided tours, while nurseries,
landscape designers and a composter set up
displays and answered questions.
Refreshments and music were also provided.
•
Xeriscape Design Clinics: offered a series
of sessions to help customers with xeriscape
design. The clinics provided 37 customers
with the opportunity to have an individual
session with a landscape design
professional. Each person took home a landscape plan for a small part of their yard.
Sessions were held at the Gardens on Spring Creek on a Wednesday evening and a
Saturday, with five to seven designers each day.
•
Garden-in-a-Box: partnered with the Center for Resource Conservation to offer the
Garden-in-a-Box program, including a $25 discount for a garden to our customers.
Customers could choose from six pre-planned xeriscape gardens with a design and
plants included. Fort Collins residents purchased 63 gardens.
•
Sprinkler System Audits: offered a sprinkler system audit program for the 14th
summer. Sprinkler systems were evaluated for watering efficiency, and homeowners
received a watering schedule and information about proper watering.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
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 With the help of five seasonal auditors, 232 home and 14
homeowner association (HOA) audits were completed for
Utilities water customers. Since the program’s inception
in 1999, 3,059 homes, 86 HOAs and five businesses have
received audits.
 Fort Collins-Loveland Water District again contracted
with Utilities to perform audits; 66 home and one HOA
audit were completed. New for 2012, ELCO water
district also contracted with Utilities, totaling 42 home
audits.
 Developed a self-audit kit for homeowners to check out.
The kit includes all the equipment, forms and step-bystep instructions for customers to perform their own
sprinkler audit.
•
Land Cover Analysis Project: contracted with Symbiotic Engineering to analyze the
square footage on residential lots covered by trees, shrubs and turf. The project
included relevant parcel ID information and GIS layers. This data will be useful for
producing water use efficiency reports and water budgets for customers. It is
compatible with the Sustainability Information Management System (see page 19).
•
Residential Sprinkler Equipment Rebates: offered rebates for the purchase of
sprinkler equipment technology. During 2012, 137 rebates were given for 170 items.
 High efficiency nozzles: $25 (purchases of $50-$99) or $50 (more than $100)
 Rain sensor: wired, $15, or wireless, $30
 Soil moisture sensor: $45
 Pressure-reducing heads: $20 (purchases of $40-$79) or $40 (more than $80)
 Weather station add-on: $50
 Weather-based controller: $150
Residential Sprinkler Rebates
2012 Rebates
# Items
# Rebates
High efficiency nozzles
83
59
Rain sensors
22
22
Pressure-reducing heads
29
17
Weather station add-ons
4
4
Weather-based controllers
32
35
Total
170
137
Along with a rebate, a Tech Check consultation is offered to make sure the new
technology has been correctly installed and programmed. Five Tech Checks were
completed in 2012.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
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•
Commercial Sprinkler Equipment Rebates: rebates were offered to commercial
customers for efficient sprinkler equipment technology. During 2012, 56 rebates were
given for 964 items.
 High efficiency nozzles: $3 per nozzle
 Rain sensor: $30
 Pressure-reducing heads: $3 per head
 Pressure regulators: $35 per zone
 Weather station add-on: 50 percent of purchase price, up to $400
 Weather-based controller: 50 percent of purchase price, up to $400
 Commercial sprinkler audit: $50
Commercial Sprinkler Rebates
2012 Rebates
# Items
# Rebates
High efficiency nozzles
785
12
Rain sensors
11
4
Pressure-reducing heads
125
2
Pressure regulators
5
1
Weather station add-ons
11
11
Weather-based controllers
27
26
Total
964
56
5. Indoor Fixtures and Appliances: Commercial
•
Commercial Facility Assessments: performed 77 facility water and energy
assessments for commercial customers. They were done in conjunction with
ClimateWise and the Business Efficiency Program.
•
Pre-Rinse Spray Nozzle Installations: gave information on water efficiency to 92
businesses with commercial kitchens, resulting in 32 pre-rinse spray nozzles and 72
faucet aerators being installed, with a savings of over 1.8 million gallons per year.
•
Hotel and Restaurant Conservation: provided water conservation materials to 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.
•
Restroom Rebates: offered rebates to commercial customers for high-efficiency
toilets and urinals. During 2012, four rebates were given for 443 items.
 Tank toilets: $50
 Urinals: $100
 Flushometer toilets – 1.28 gpf: $100, 1.6 gpf: $50
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Commercial Restroom Rebates
2012 Rebates
# Items
# Rebates
Tank-type toilets
401
3
Urinals
42
1
Total
443
4
Ramblewood Apartments Case Study: The facility owners of Ramblewood
Apartments, a multi-unit apartment complex, hired a contractor to retrofit the water
fixtures in each living unit. The project replaced 362 1970-era toilets with ultraefficient models, as well as 281 showerheads and 637 faucet aerators. Billing data has
shown a savings of over 320,000 gallons per month for the facility, resulting in a
$20,000 savings on their utility bills per year. This, along with the toilet and custom
rebates, gives the project a four-year payback.
•
Clothes Washer and Dishwasher Rebates: offered rebates for commercial grade
clothes washers and dishwashers. No rebates were given in 2012.
 Clothes washer – vended: $250, non-vended: $125
 Dishwasher: $250
•
Custom Rebates: rebates were offered to commercial customers for custom watersaving projects. Equipment must have an expected water savings of 20 percent or
more as compared to prior equipment.
 Custom: 25 percent of equipment cost, up to $5,000
 During 2012, one rebate was given for an ozone generator, which cleans reuse
water from an industrial process, to be used for three air scrubber towers. Each
scrubber tower used 9 gallons per minute of domestic water before the project, but
now uses only reuse water cleaned by ozone from the ozone generator. This
project is expected to save over 10 million gallons per year.
6. Water Reuse Systems
•
Drake Water Reclamation Facility: treated wastewater is pumped to the Rawhide
Power Plant for landscaping and cooling water.
•
Water Treatment Facility: has the ability to treat the backwash water with UV
disinfection and recycle to the beginning of the treatment process. In 2012, 45 million
gallons were recycled.
7. Regulatory Measures
The City of Fort Collins has various regulations to encourage efficient water use and
deter water waste.
•
Wasting Water Ordinance: investigated 24 complaints in accordance with the
Fort Collins Municipal Code’s wasting water ordinance.
•
Landscape and Irrigation Standards for Water Conservation: promote efficient
water use through proper landscape and irrigation system design and installation.
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 Reviewed 54 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 44 irrigation plans and completed 28 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. Although it was
hot and dry, no water restrictions were necessary during 2012.
•
Restrictive Covenants Ordinance: prohibits homeowner association covenants from
banning the use of xeriscape or requiring a percentage of the landscape be planted
with turf. Although customers asked questions, no enforcement was needed in 2012.
•
Soil Amendment Ordinance: requires organic matter be added to the soil before
planting turf to encourage deep roots and water penetration. In 2012, 324 soil
amendment applications were approved.
•
Green Building Code: City’s new green building code went into effect in January
2012. Water measures include WaterSense 1.28 gpf toilets as well as low-flow
faucets, urinals, and showerheads in residential and commercial facilities.
•
Streetscape Standards: Continued working with an interdepartmental team to
develop new Streetscape standards, including medians and parkways. A brochure was
published with guidelines for homeowners to re-landscape their parkway strip.
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 2012, Utilities surveyed 106 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): Utilities has been in the process of
updating all electric and water meters to meters than can communicate to the billing
system automatically, enabling better service to customers through more reliability
and increased information about usage. Meters were installed and tested in an Initial
Deployment Area in the spring, expanded to all areas in the fall and will continue
through mid-2013. A vendor was chosen for the outward-facing, Web portal portion
of the project and a team worked to define requirements to ensure customer’s ease of
use, preferred consumption data and alignment with the City’s website. The AMFC
project will continue through 2014.
•
City Buildings: committed to leadership and efficiency in the operations of City
buildings.
 Partnered with Stormwater to develop bio-retention garden at the Utilities Service
Center. Water conservation staff contributed irrigation system and landscape
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
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design assistance. The garden will take runoff from the large parking lot and filter
the water before it enters the stormwater system.
 Audits were performed at three City buildings to evaluate indoor water fixtures.
The results will be used to recommend upgrades for toilets, urinals and faucets to
improve water efficiency. Outdoor water use audits are scheduled for 2013.
 City Council mandated that construction of new City-owned buildings achieve
LEED “Gold” certification to raise the bar for energy efficiency and
environmental design, including water conservation credits.
Year of Water 2012
Colorado declared 2012 the Year of Water to celebrate many historic water
anniversaries. The statewide campaign celebrated Colorado’s unique heritage
as a headwaters state and the value of this precious resource.
In January 2012, Mayor Weitkunat declared the Year of Water for Fort Collins.
The City of Fort Collins Water Utility marked its 130th anniversary in 2012
with several special events and activities.
•
Earth Day Celebration: participated in the Sustainable Living Association’s Earth
Day celebration on April 21 at Civic Center Park. Utilities had displays and activities
related to water.
•
Big Splash Open House: co-hosted the Big Splash with
the Poudre Landmarks Foundation on July 14 at the 1882
Water Works building. The event included tours, displays
and activities. Kevin Gertig, Water Resources and
Treatment Operations Manager, made a presentation
commemorating the Water Utility’s 130th anniversary.
•
Watershed Tours: provided two one-day tours of the
Poudre watershed. The July 20 tour was for City
employees and the July 21 tour was open to the public. Fifty people participated each
day. The tour included education 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.
•
Traveling Display: produced a tri-fold display
showcasing the past, present and future of the Fort
Collins Water Utility. It was shown at various
events and City buildings.
•
Watershed Bike Tour: created a bike tour
brochure to guide 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.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
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•
History Project: CSU students from the
Public Lands History Center were hired to
update the Water Utility’s history book and
compile photos. The original history book,
From Bucket to Basin, was written in 1982.
The new book will update the last 30 years
and include a framework of regional and
local history.
A compilation of water supply, treatment and
distribution photos from the early days until
now were categorized and inventoried. The text for the history book will be finalized
in 2013. Photos will be selected for the book and also for an exhibition.
Residential End Uses of Water Study
In 1999, a Residential End Uses of Water Study (REUWS) was published with single-family
water use analysis of 1,200 homes in 12 cities throughout North America. In 2011, the Water
Research Foundation sponsored an update of the study with 26 cities participating at two
levels. The City of Fort Collins participated at Level 1, consisting of a water use survey sent
to 1,000 customers, dataloggers installed at 100 homes and meters installed at 10 homes to
track their hot water heater use. Agencies participating at Level 2 sent the water use survey.
Although the complete study results are not currently available, Fort Collins received a final
report in 2012. The results will be used to guide our water conservation program into the
future. A summary of the results from that report are discussed below.
Fort Collins Study Results
When water use was broken down into indoor uses by means of flow trace analysis, as
shown in the table below, the data showed that the actual indoor use in the homes during
the 2012 logging period was 134 gallons per household per day (gphd). This number
compares favorably to an average indoor use of 177 gphd in found in the 1994 study.
With annual indoor use estimated at 48,900 gallons per year, this implies that the outdoor
use averages 56,000 gallons. From the 1999 study, annual indoor use would have been
65,000 gallons and outdoor use would have been 101,000 gallons. Therefore, the 2012
study shows a 25 percent reduction in indoor use, a 44 percent reduction in outdoor use
and a 37 percent reduction for indoor and outdoor use together.
Fort Collins 2012 Water Use Compared to 1999 REUW Study
Year
Annual Water Use
(kgal)
Indoor use (kgal)
(from flow trace
analysis)
Outdoor Use (kgal)
(Annual – Indoor Use)
REUWS (1999)
166
65
101
Fort Collins (2012)
105
49
56
% Reduction
37%
25%
44%
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
13
The data suggests that several things are at work in the water demands for Fort Collins.
For indoor use, the biggest factors are the replacement of toilets and clothes washers with
high-efficiency devices. Customers are also showing a
Other Bathtub
Dishwasher
1.2%
lot of discipline in their water use, which can be seen
3.3%
1.6%
in the fact that miscellaneous uses and uses for
Toilet
24.5%
Leak
showers and faucets are all staying at or below the
17.8%
1999 REUWS levels.
•
Leaks: The average rate for leaks was nearly 24
gphd, but the median rate was only 6.4 gpd. The
data showed that over half of the leakage occurred
in a small number of homes with very large,
continuous leaks. In the future, the advanced water
meters will be able to alert customers to increased
water use and help them detect leaks sooner.
Faucet
17.0%
Clothes washer
14.9%
Shower
19.7%
•
Toilets: Even though great progress has been
made in toilet upgrades there are still a significant number of homes in the system
with inefficient high volume toilets. Getting these replaced should be a priority either
by offering incentives in the form of rebates or requiring all old toilets to be replaced
when a house is sold or remodeled.
•
Outdoor Use: For outdoor use, an estimated irrigation need was determined for each
lot for 2010. Using billing data, landscape area and weather information, the results
showed that customers averaged using 35 percent of the landscape’s estimated water
need. The results show that most customers have a pattern of under-irrigation. The
challenge will be to design programs to continue customers’ awareness of the value of
low outdoor water use.
•
Annual Tracking: Fort Collins Utilities would benefit from continuing to monitor
water use patterns to determine the extent to which demand patterns change over
time. Prepare an annual water use tracking report to identify water use by household
and business category, water losses and irrigation would allow meaningful analysis of
progress toward household water efficiency.
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 2012, diverting tons of porcelain from the
landfill. The program is a partnership between the Utilities, Natural Resources and Streets
departments, along with a local non-profit, ReSource. Customers drop off their high
water-using toilets and Streets crushes them into road base.
•
Contributed to Sustainability Services’ new Healthy Sustainable Homes program, training
volunteers about available water conservation programs and providing conservation items
for assessments.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
14
•
Participated in a Citywide Strategic Planning Charrette to look at environmental needs of
the community and identify areas where departments overlap in offering programs. The
goal of the charrette was to develop a strategic plan for Sustainability Services.
•
Collaborated with Colorado State University’s graywater research project. The 2013/2014
budget includes funding for an agreement with CSU to continue graywater research,
develop a model ordinance and identify City customers who might benefit from a system.
•
Collaborated with the University of Arizona to plan for a future Conserve to Enhance
program for Fort Collins. Conserve to Enhance programs link water savings from
conservation projects to environmental restoration by gathering donated funds from water
customers and using them for local riparian or water resource restoration projects. The
2013/2014 budget includes funding to develop and administer a pilot program.
•
Promoted the WaterSense program through articles and events.
WaterSense promotes and enhances water-efficient products and
services. Utilities is a WaterSense promotional partner.
•
Presented Walking Our Talk at Water Smart Innovations in Las
Vegas, a national water conservation conference. The presentation
talked about the City’s sustainability ethic and policies that have
been changed to align with its environmental values.
•
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 and gave a presentation on toilet rebates and recycling.
•
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.
Other Water Conservation Efforts
Parks Department Water Use Efficiency
Water consumption data was collected and analyzed throughout the City of Fort Collins
Parks system. Using evapotranspiration (ET) readings, rainfall and water use readings,
Parks calculated the landscape area’s need for water and the amount of water that was
actually applied.
The ET rate during the irrigation season was 24.56 inches; effective rainfall was
calculated at 2.95 inches. Water need was 21.61 inches or 586,841 gallons per acre. The
average water use for all park areas was 85 percent of the irrigation water needed.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
15
Parks found that:
• 11 parks used over 95 percent of water need
• 35 parks used under 95 percent of water need
• Of the 35 parks, 29 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 2011, eight sites were audited.
When designing new community and neighborhood parks, water-efficient practices are
incorporated. Low water use turfgrasses are selected for 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 water, fertilizer or mowing. These areas also provide a different visual
aspect to the park, create unstructured play areas and enhance the environmental value of
the park. High traffic areas use turfgrasses that are durable while being as water-efficient
as possible. 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 waterefficient and uses the latest technology.
ClimateWise Water Savings
During 2012, ClimateWise grew by 43 businesses, for a total of
325 partners. The partners reduced greenhouse gas emissions
by 163,000 metric tons in 2012. Since 2000, Climate Wise
partners have saved 10 billion gallons of water.
Two ClimateWise partners stood out with their water conservation projects. Architecture
Plus replaced toilets in their over 100 year old office building with high-efficiency 1.28
gallon per flush toilets, reducing water use by 20 percent, and recycled the old toilets.
Best Western University Inn created new signs that give guests incentives when they
decline housekeeping or laundry services.
Other Savings from Water Conservation
Using less water not only decreases the need for raw water resources, but has other
associated savings. A 2009 Utilities analysis evaluated the cost savings from the reduced
water demand since 2002 for the following operations.
•
Water Treatment Facility: a 2002 water treatment facility distribution master plan
identified the need for one 5 million gallon reservoir in 2008, and a 14 million gallon
reservoir in 2015. Reduced water demands have eliminated the 5 million gallon
reservoir, a savings of $13 million. In addition, the lower water use saves $167,000
per year due to reduced electricity and chemical usage.
•
Water Reclamation Facility: decreased wastewater flows have delayed expansion of
the Drake Water Reclamation Facility treatment capacity from 2010 to 2028 and
lowered operation costs by $43,000 per year.
•
Environmental Impacts: reducing the amount of water and wastewater treated also
reduces our environmental footprint by decreasing chemical and power usage.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
16
How Are We Doing?
Water Use Goals
The Water Conservation Plan sets a goal of 140 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) by the
year 2020. These calculations are 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.
Per capita annual consumption is calculated by dividing annual total system-wide water
use by the population served and 365 days. This calculation is adjusted for weather
(normalized) to provide a fair comparison with other years. In 2012, the adjusted average
demand was estimated to be 152 gpcd, higher than 144 gpcd in 2010 and 2011. This is
the time in several years that normalized water demand increased. The extremely hot and
dry spring and summer, and the effects of the fires may have contributed to the increase.
The graph below shows projected water demand compared to actual use. Sprinkler
systems were turned on in mid-March 2012, about a month earlier than is typical for Fort
Collins.
Fort Collins Utilities
Projected and Actual Treated Water Demand
2012
50
45
35
30
25
20
Projected City
Demand
15
10
5
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
30-Dec
2-Dec
4-Nov
7-Oct
9-Sep
12-Aug
15-Jul
17-Jun
20-May
22-Apr
25-Mar
26-Feb
29-Jan
0
1-Jan
Demand in Millions of Gallons per Day
40
17
The graph below shows gpcd values; historic averages compared with the Water Supply
and Demand Management Policy (WSDMP) and Water Conservation Plan (WCP) goals.
Sustainability Information Management System
Utilities’ Energy Services brought a Sustainable Information Management System
(SIMS) on board through a grant in 2009 to track program participation and resulting
energy savings. Water information was added in 2011.
In 2012, the SIMS online tool was used to analyze the water rebate programs based on
bill analysis of customers that received rebates versus customers that did not. The table
below shows a comparison of deemed water savings versus savings calculated from the
bill analysis.
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
18
The land cover analysis mentioned on page 8 was used to analyze the watering
effectiveness of single-family residential customers in comparison to landscape water
needs. The study found that 87percent of single-family customers were watering at or
below the amount of water needed by the grass. This also identified about 2,000 accounts
in 2011 with “heavy over watering.” These customers could be targeted with additional
conservation information to lower their water use, with maximum predicted water
savings of about 200 acre feet.
Evaluating Water Use
The water use trend continues to be significantly lower than pre-drought (1993-2001)
demand. Tiered and seasonal water rates, and continuing water conservation efforts,
contribute to the trend of decreased water use. 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. Water use can vary for many reasons, including
changes in weather, seasons, household size and income.
Per capita water use estimates can misrepresent water use trends over time. Population is
not the sole determinant of water use. Precipitation levels and daily temperatures during
the watering season cause water use to vary considerably from year to year. For Fort
Collins, the graph below shows the percentage of water used indoors versus outdoors by
year. Indoor water use remains fairly consistent while outdoor water use fluctuates. In
2012, outdoor water use was 40 percent of total use, compared with 34 percent in 2011.
Estimated Indoor and Outdoor Water Use
7000
Estimated Outdoor Use
6000
5000
Millions of Gallons
41%
4000
38%
39%
39%
36%
40%
36%
36%
36%
40%
39%
39%
39%
36%
35%
34%
3000
32%
Estimated Indoor Use
34%
35%
32%
34%
31%
28%
2000
1000
0
1990
1995
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
2000
2005
2010
19
Historic Water Use Per Person1
Year
Actual Use
(gpcd)
Normalized
2
Average Use
Actual
Peak Day Use
(gpcd)
(gpc)
1 in 50
Normalized
3
Peak Day Use
(gpc)
2001
198
198
428
503
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
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
Annual Water Average Day
Peak Day Use
Precipitation
Use
Use
(MGD)
(inches)
(MG)
(MGD)
2001
121,300
12.3
9,978
27.3
55.8
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
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
20
Number of Accounts by Customer Class
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
26,643
26,658
26,627
26,588
26,605
Duplex
1,165
1,165
1,175
1,191
1,205
Multi-Family
2,124
2,146
2,154
2,165
2,180
Commercial
2,133
2,162
2,184
2,186
2,192
198
214
208
208
212
1
1
1
1
1
1,410
1,423
1,414
1,415
1,419
33,674
33,769
33,762
33,754
33,814
Single-Family
City Government
West Fort Collins WD
Outside City Customers
Total
Water Use by Customer Class
(Million Gallons)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2,714.9
2,318.1
2,619.1
2,475.3
2,915.8
Duplex
135.8
119.0
134.0
130.9
146.4
Multi-Family
973.4
914.1
1,000.2
980.2
1,048.2
3,377.7
3,023.4
3,095.3
3,057.8
3,330.5
City Government
124.7
87.3
122.8
108.0
148.1
West Fort Collins WD
183.3
142.2
168.3
146.9
169.9
Outside City Customers
272.3
238.9
263.8
259.5
303.4
System Losses
570.3
548.2
426.5
462.1
695.1
8,352.4
7,391.1
7,830.1
7,620.7
8,757.4
Single-Family
Commercial
Total
Water Use per Account by Customer Class
(Gallons per Year)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Single-Family
101,901
86,957
98,363
93,097
109,594
Duplex
116,627
102,105
114,085
109,886
121,518
Multi-Family
458,390
426,000
464,338
452,038
480,866
1,583,600
1,398,439
1,417,338
1,397,962
1,519,134
City Government
629,088
407,309
591,785
519,674
699,082
Outside City
Customers
193,153
167,827
186,599
183,365
213,772
Commercial
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
21
.
Annual Treated Water Use
1960-2012
35000
30000
WTF#2
WTF#1
25000
15000
10000
5000
0
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
96
91
93
95
97
98
00
02
04
06
08
10
12
Year
Peak Day Use
1961-2012
70
60
50
40
MGD
Acre-Feet
20000
30
20
10
0
61
63
65
67
69
71
73
75
77
79
81
83
85
87
89
99
01
03
05
07
09
11
Year
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
22
2012 Precipitation
3.5
2012 Precipitation (10.76")
3
81-'10 Average Precipitation (16.08")
2.5
Inches
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Month
Historic Annual Precipitation Fort Collins
1960-2012
30
1981-2010 Average Precipitation=16.08 in.
25
Inches
20
15
10
5
0
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
Year
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
23
Attachment ‘A’
Fort Collins Utilities Water Conservation Plan: Recommended Measures
Measure
Customers
Water Use
Existing or Future
RSF
RMF
CII
City
Indoor
Outdoor
Existing
Conservation public information campaign
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Adult education programs
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Future
Education and Public Information
Business environmental programs
X
X
School education programs
X
X
X
X
X
Conservation giveaways
X
X
X
X
X
Water conservation awards
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
2012
X
X
X
Water Rates and Usage Information
Increasing block rate – Res.
X
Seasonal rates – Comm. & MF
Online access to water history
X
Online water use calculator
X
X
X
X
X
X
Indoor Fixtures and Appliances Residential
Residential clothes washer rebates
X
X
X
X
High efficiency toilet rebates
X
X
X
X
Dishwasher rebates
X
X
X
X
Low income retrofit program
X
X
X
Zero-interest loans for conservation
X
X
X
Research: Water end use study
X
X
X
X
Outdoor Efficiency - Landscapes and
Irrigation
Sprinkler system audits
X
X
Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
X
X
Xeriscape design clinics
X
X
Irrigation technology rebates
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Raw water for irrigation at parks, cemeteries
and golf courses
Research: Determine irrigated area for lots
X
X
2012
Indoor Fixtures and Appliances - Comm.,
Indust., Institutional (CII)
CII facility audits
X
X
Commercial clothes washer rebates
X
X
X
Commercial toilet and urinal rebates
X
X
X
Financial incentives for commercial watersaving upgrades
X
X
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
X
X
X
X
24
Measure
Customers
RSF
RMF
CII
Water Use
City
Indoor
Outdoor
Existing or Future
Existing
Hotel and restaurant conservation materials
X
X
X
Restaurant pre-rinse spray valve distribution
X
X
X
Future
Water Reuse Systems
Large customer reuse
X
Backwash recycling at water treatment facility
X
X
X
X
X
X
Regulatory Measures
Wasting water ordinance
X
Restrictive covenants ordinance
X
X
X
X
X
Soil amendment ordinance
X
X
X
X
Water Shortage Response Plan
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Landscape & irrigation standards for new
development
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Operational Measures
Utility water loss program
X
Water loss program enhancement
X
Water conservation upgrades at City LEED
buildings
X
X
X
X
Water conservation upgrades at City facilities
X
X
X
X
X
X
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
Exist – existing measure
Future – future measure
2012 Fort Collins Water Conservation Report
25