DenverWaterConservationPlan - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I Customer I Reductions Measure DW Total (AF) Irrigation meter requirement for new accounts $53,000 $2,117,000 $2,169,000 628 Low-flow urinal (0.5 gpf) requirement for new buildings $32,000 $46,000 $78,000 300 Water efficiency rating for new homes $8,289,000 $19,287,000 $27,576,000 3,793 Total $8,374,000 $21,450,000 $29,823,000 4,720 Initial development of a point system for the Water Efficiency Rating System shows that new homes and apartments may save a substantial amount simply by installing efficient toilets, showerheads and faucets that are required by the 1992 Energy Policy Act regulations. Staff investigated this further by comparing the water use from a sample of existing and new customers. Figure 4 shows the 2005 water use statistics from a sample of new and existing customers. New customers were defined as new accounts since 2001. The sample size was 1 ,628 new customers and 13,298 existing customers. The figure shows the cumulative percent of customers that used increasing amounts of water over a year. The median use for an existing customer in 2005 was 120,000 gallons, while the median use for a new customer was 65,000 gallons, a 45 percent decrease. Figure 4 - New vs. Existing Customer Comparison Sample Customers 2005 Water Use New vs. Existing Accounts 50% Median Median 65,000 gal. 120,000 gal. 10% -New Customers (n = 1,628) -Existing Customers (n = 13,298) 40% l!? ~ o ~ 30% u o ~ (I) ~ 20% ~ u 0% 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Water Use (000 gallons) Figure 4 represents only a preliminary analysis. Neither the number of people per household nor the lot sizes were taken into account when producing Figure 4. Variations in either characteristic will change water use levels. However, the data show that new customers use significantly less water, resulting partly from efficient water fixtures. Staff will refine Figure 4 as the development of the Water Efficiency Rating measure continues. 15