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<br />Future Studies <br />The effects of this irrigation inspection program should be monitored in future years to <br />determine whether or not water use trends coincide with the results of this study. If <br />possible, it would be beneficial to 1001< at whether or not participants who reduced their <br />landscape water use continue in this manner beyond the post-inspection year. Due to the <br />volume of data collection and analysis involved in studying the effectiveness of this <br />water conservation program, it is recommended that a similar study commence in January <br />of 2009. This time frame allows for the availability of two full years of water record data <br />for the 2006 audit participants. <br /> <br />Other phases of the irrigation inspection procedure should also be considered and <br />evaluated for effectiveness. There is the potential to increase the number of participants <br />who tal<e action on recommendations made during an irrigation inspection by developing <br />or utilizing qualified contractor services to make minor or major repairs to the system <br />during or shortly following the inspection with the homeowner's consent. Currently, to <br />maintain the CRC's unbiased, independent status, auditors cannot recommend a specific <br />irrigation company to our clients. Instead, the auditors inform the client about what <br />qualifications they should look for in a contractor and also refer them to the Irrigation <br />Association, an organization that provides a database of certified landscape and irrigation <br />specialists. While this amount of information was satisfactory for some of our clients, <br />others would have appreciated a referral system in which we could give them a specific <br />list of companies that they could call to implement the changes we recommend. If a <br />contractor referral system is set up through Slow the Flow Colorado, it is crucial that it is <br />done in such a way that there is not either a real or a perceived undue influence by the <br />contractors on our program recommendations. The city of Boulder, in partnership with <br />the Center for ReSource Conservation is in the process of completing a small pilot <br />program to measure water savings following changes to irrigation systems made by a <br />contractor per the instructions of a Slow the Flow Colorado auditor. <br /> <br />11 <br />