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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Audits of Major Commercial and Irrigation Water Accounts <br />Town of Castle Rock <br /> <br />restrooms for both men and women. They also irrigate about 0.4 acres of bluegrass that <br />borders their paved areas both to the east and north. <br /> <br />The cause of the facility's excessive water use is their car wash. This is in part evidenced <br />by the lack of summertime peaks in water use shown in Attachment 4. The equipment <br />that they use has been and continues to malfunction due to excessive water softer <br />backwashing, which discharges 5 to 10 gallons per minute directly into the sanitary water <br />collection system in the base of the car wash. It is estimated that as much as one third to <br />one half ofthe facility's water use relates to this malfunctioning car wash. <br /> <br />Because the car wash has been in place over the entire period of record, the use of a water <br />budget based on historical wintertime use plus 80% of estimated evapotransportation for <br />the irrigated area is not an effective means to determine potential cost implications of <br />improvements. Therefore, the true water budget should be based on a correctly operating <br />car wash, which uses roughly one half to two thirds of the water currently being used by <br />the car wash, and the measured number of car washes per month. Unfortunately the audit <br />was not in position to character water use at this facility under more appropriate operating <br />circumstances. <br /> <br />An estimate of the car wash waste is between 70,000 to 120,000 gallons per month, or <br />about 4 acre-feet per year. The cost of this waste using the water budget approach would <br />increase the monthly water bills for Jenny's Market by $350 to 500 per month, or as <br />much as $6,000 per year. <br /> <br />Alternatives and Recommendations <br />The car wash at Jenny's Market is a very inefficient water user wasting perhaps 4 acre- <br />feet of water per year. Repairing this car wash such that its backwash mechanism <br />functions properly could save the majority of the water waste at this location; however, <br />replacing this car wash with one that captures and recycles water would be an even more <br />appropriate remedy. With regard to the malfunctioning car wash, perhaps a simple $500 <br />plumbing fix could save Jenny's Market $6,000 per year. <br /> <br />At the next level, it may be possible for Jenny's Market to install a car wash that recycles <br />water based on Vickers (2002), especially rinse water, saving perhaps as much as 75% of <br />what would be used by a correctly functioning car wash at a cost of about $50,000 <br />creating a savings in water and sewerage costs of as much as the $18,000 per year. <br />Therefore, this investment would have a pay back within 3 to 4 years. <br /> <br />Jenny's Market could also improve the efficiency of its landscape. Fore example, <br />Jenny's Market could install a 14-zone ET Controller for about $800 and improve the <br />water use efficiency of its outdoor irrigation. <br /> <br />In addition, the 0.4 acres of bluegrass could be replaced with a combination of hardscape <br />and xeriscape, with the water savings paying for the investment in 4 to 5 years, assuming <br /> <br />3-8 <br />