Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Eagle River Water & Sanitation District CWCB Water Conservation Grant Application <br />Page 7 of17 <br /> <br />Since the adoption of the District's first Water Conservation Plan in 1990, the overall <br />programmatic goal has been to minimize waste and encourage efficient utilization of <br />water resources. The program emphasis has been focused primarily on public education, <br />metering, and leak detection measures. In 2006, the District also implemented <br />accounting procedures to better llnderstand how "vater is being used. T'his improved data <br />and the water conservation planning process anticipated in this proposal, will enable the <br />District to develop improved quantitative conservation goals in addition to existing <br />programmatic goals. Stakeholder and public involvement in the Plan development <br />process will also be important considerations for refining conservation goals. <br /> <br />ConseIV"ation measures and programs evaluated in the Plan development process will be <br />selected based upon their water savings potential~ cost effectiveness and consistency with <br />community values. The Water Conservation. ,Plan development process will also enable <br />the District to evaluate the effectiveness of its current conservation program elements. <br />The District's preliminary goal is to implement conservation measures that will <br />encourage residents to use water at a per capita rate of 165 gpcdby the end of2015. This <br />goal was developed after an evaluation of historical per capita use. During the 2002 <br />drought, the District's service area population showed that they could decrease \vater use <br />to 175 gpcd. With the development of an. updated and effective Water Conservation <br />Plan, the District believes the goal of 165 gpcd is realistic and will result in significant <br />water savings. This goal would result in a 20% decrease in water used per person from <br />2000 per capita ,vater use and 15% from 2006 gpcd. If Plan measures and programs are <br />implemented by 2015, this would equate to a decrease of approximately 2% annually <br />from 2006 rates and a total annual water savings of nearly 500 acre-feet. l"hough the <br />specific goal of 165 gpcd will be reevaluated during Plan development, the District <br />believes it is a reasonable target given the nature of its service area. <br /> <br />~rhis District also has several more qualitative goals. Thollgh the District has sufficient <br />water rights to reliably meet currently anticipated future water demands, it is continuing <br />to develop and refine plans for the water supply, storage, treatment and distribution <br />facilities that will be needed in the future. The effectiveness of water conservation <br />measures will be an important factor in determining the timing, sizing and potential need <br />for these facilities. An important programmatic goal will be to coordinate and integrate <br />the development of the District's Water Conservation Plan with ongoing facilities <br />planning. Conservation. will be an important element of the District's strategy for <br />re.sponding to demand side uncertainties associate.d with changing land use patterns (e.g. <br />development density) and supply side uncertainty resulting from factors such as climate <br />change~ <br /> <br />All water use.d in the District's service area originates from Gore Creek or the Eagle <br />River so water usage in Vail is linked directly to biological and recreational resources <br />that are important to the area's recreational economy. The fundamental resource <br />conservation principles underlying the District's water management and conservation <br />goals are driven by the need to protect instream flows and water quality in Gore Creek <br />and the Eagle River. High water demands during late summer, fall and winter in the <br />District's service area coincide with periods when stream flows are at their lowest. <br />