CRC_SlowTheFlowPhase1_FinalReport

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~t f'ow COI ..\ ~ " '0 ~"./ ~.3 ~ ~~ y~ CI) ~Q Final Report on the 2005 Slow the Flow Irrigation Audit Program presented by: .~ CENTER FOR iW J1 ReSource II~ CONSERVATION December 30, 2005 Program Overview Slow the Flow Colorado is a best practice landscape irrigation program and is modeled after a successful program developed by the Utah State University Cooperative Extension. The project offers landscape irrigation audits at no charge to homeowners, renters, housing communities and businesses. These audits assess irrigation systems and provide information and data regarding water use strategies that result in reduced water consumption while meeting the desired goals of the homeowner. The program was adopted in 2004 as a pilot and ran in 2005 as a program ofthe Center for ReSource Conservation (CRC). The audits are conducted for a nine week period in June, July and August. Many months of work go into preparation of the program and a significant amount of time is spent in the fall analyzing and reporting on data. Program Description Work on the Slow the Flow program begins early in the year. Program goals, structure, and logistics are outlined by CRC staff. Proposals to targeted municipal staff are developed and submitted and often requires presentations to staff members, city councils, and further meetings to discuss the program. Once a municipality expresses a desire to partner in the program, contractual agreements are drafted and finalized. In the contracts, each community agrees to the procedures outlined by the Slow the Flow Colorado Irrigation Audit program and is also allowed to set a limit for the number of audits to be completed as well as parameters for who is eligible for the audits in their community. This always includes residential water customers in city boundaries and may be extended to include homeowners associations, businesses, and parks serviced by city water. Once the geographic boundaries of the program and the number of audits to be completed are determined, labor needs are assessed and irrigation auditors are solicited. Advertisements are sent through college departments with environmental or horticultural programs. If needed, advertisements are also listed in newspapers and other appropriate media. Interviews are conducted and a qualified staff is hired and must attend a week-long training session. A consultant along with the program manager (who are both certified landscape irrigation auditors) conduct the training and ensure that the staff are qualified to perform irrigation audits. To become trained as a landscape irrigation auditor costs approximately $500. We pay our summer staff to learn this skill in hopes that it will encourage them to consider water conservation as a career in the future. Training our staff versus hiring trained auditors enables the CRC to offer our audits to municipalities at a reduced cost.