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Executive Summary <br />7. Water Conservation (Beyond Level 1) Will <br />Continue to be Relied Upon as a Major Tool for <br />Meeting Future M&I Demands, but Conservation <br />Alone Cannot Meet All of Colorado's Future <br />Needs <br />Water conservation will continue to be relied upon as a <br />major tool for meeting future demands for Colorado. <br />Conservation can be a cost-effective means to manage <br />water demands, is an option that is under the control of <br />the individual water provider, and does not require any <br />state or federal permits. However, water conservation <br />can harden demand and reduce operational flexibility. <br />It is necessary to distinguish between water conservation <br />and temporary demand modification measures such as <br />drought restrictions. Temporary drought restrictions <br />include requests for voluntary demand reductions or <br />mandatory water use restrictions during drought <br />conditions. This type of demand modification usually <br />involves drastic, temporary behavioral changes such as <br />not watering lawns, trees, plants, or not washing the car. <br />Droughts can also result in permanent water <br />conservation benefits, such as retrofitting indoor <br />plumbing devices with more efficient water saving <br />devices or reducing or eliminating high water use <br />landscaping. During the most recent drought, many <br />water providers contacted as part of the SWSI effort <br />reported that mandatory restrictions resulted in short- <br />term water demand reductions of 20 to 30 percent. <br />Ongoing water use savings at these levels are usually <br />not sustainable without significant impacts to quality of <br />life. <br />A Level 1 conservation effect, which will occur over time, <br />has been built into the SWSI planning assumptions. <br />Level 1 conservation results in demand reductions from <br />implementation of federal legislation that established <br />maximum water use standards for certain residential and <br />commercial indoor plumbing fixtures. This conservation <br />requires no action on the part of water customers or <br />water providers. It is estimated that by 2030, Level 1 <br />conservation will result in demand reduction in Colorado <br />of approximately 101,900 AF. <br />Additional water conservation savings are anticipated <br />over time as water providers continue existing water <br />conservation programs and implement additional water <br />conservation measures. These efforts beyond Level 1 <br />conservation are included as part of many water <br />providers/ Identified Projects and Processes to meet <br />future M&I demands. This active water conservation <br />impact requires the active efforts of water providers and <br />water customers to maintain and expand water <br />conservation programs. <br />Water providers may begin water conservation efforts by <br />metering all customers and implementing a program of <br />systematic leak detection and repair of water distribution <br />lines, meters and hydrants. Typical water conservation <br />measures offered by water providers may include: <br />^ Water use efficiency information and public school <br />programs <br />^ Rebates for low-flush toilets and high efficiency <br />clothes washers <br />^ Water use audits of residential, commercial, and <br />industrial customers <br />^ Water use audits of large landscape areas and <br />irrigation systems <br />^ Implementing tiered water rate structures that <br />increase rates in proportion to usage <br />More advanced or aggressive conservation efforts may <br />include: <br />^ Rebates for landscape replacement and turf removal <br />^ Ordinances restricting landscape areas <br />^ Rebates for irrigation moisture sensors and <br />evapotranspiration based controllers <br />^ Ordinances requiring sub-metering of master-metered <br />properties <br />^ Ordinances requiring water fixture retrofit upon sale of <br />properties <br />^ Ordinances eliminating single-pass cooling systems <br />^ Rebates for installation of non-water using urinals by <br />non-residential customers <br />According to a survey (Colorado Municipal League <br />1994), most water providers are engaged in some level <br />of active conservation for long-term reduction in water <br />demands. Information from the Municipal League survey <br />was used to approximate the current level of active <br />conservation effort in each basin. SWSI estimates these <br />current active conservation programs could result in <br />additional water demand savings ranging from 3 to <br />14 percent by basin, or an estimated 231,000 AF <br />statewide, by 2030 (see Figure ES-19) if the current level <br />~ <br />$~ole'ri~ice Wo~e' $upplY Initia~ive <br />~~ ~ <br />S:\REPORT\WORD PROCESSING\REPORT\EXEC SUMMARY 11-10-04.DOC ES-37 <br />