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Some of the conservation measures with the longest payback periods involve irrigation system efficiency or changes to landscapes. These are expensive changes to make. For example, changes in landscape cost approximately $3 per square foot. It may take between $5,000 and $10,000 to replace a lawn with Xeriscape on an average single family lot. Flexibility in the Tap-Smart Plan In the first draft of the Tap-Smart Conservation Plan, staff did not focus on minimizing the costs of the Plan. Staff gave the Board a menu of measures and their relative costs. Similarly, the expected demand reductions from rate increases were not calculated precisely. Staff simply ensured the Board that cost-of-service rate increases would be one of the tools used to reinforce the Tap-Smart goal. Staff has revised and expanded lower cost measures, to the extent possible, thereby increasing the expected demand reductions of the Tap-Smart Plan by approximately 2,000 acre-feet. The merits of the conservation measures may not rest solely on cost. The Board may want to evaluate the measures under different criteria and reduce measures, rather than completely eliminating them. Rates The 2007 Rates Schedule for potable water is an inclining block rate for residential customers and a seasonal rate for all others. Table 5 shows these rates for Denver Water customers. Table 5 -- 2007 Denver Water Rates and Charges for Potable Water Single-Family Residential Customers: Monthly Billing/ Bimonthly Billing/ Rate per Usage (Gallons) Usage (Gallons) 1,000 Gallons Block 1 o - 11,000 0-22,000 $1.72 Block 2 12,000 - 30,000 23,000 - 60,000 $3.44 Block 3 31,000 - 40,000 61,000 - 80,000 $5.16 Block 4 Over 40,000 Over 80,000 $6.88 Small Multi-Family Customers: Duplexes through Five-plexes with a single meter 18