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Section 2 <br />Conservation and Efficiency Technical Roundtable <br />The mission for the state in filling this gap should <br />be: <br />Foster cooperation among water suppliers and <br />citizens in every water basin to examine and <br />implement options to fill the gap between <br />ongoing water planning and future water needs <br />The role that water conservation could play in <br />helping address the future water supply needs and <br />the gap identified in SWSI is discussed in general <br />terms below. Additional detail can be found in <br />Section 5 of this report that discusses alternatives <br />for meeting the gap. <br />Implementing additional conservation measures <br />in some of the major gap areas (Northern El <br />Paso, Arapahoe, and Douglas Counties) where <br />water demand is primarily supplied by non- <br />renewable groundwater can reduce the rate of <br />mining of groundwater and extend the useful <br />life of aquifers. However, this does not provide a <br />renewable water supply for these water <br />providers. It would be inaccurate and <br />misleading to look at statewide conservation <br />savings and arithmetically apply it to the gap <br />areas. This would assume that saved water in <br />other basins or other geographic areas can or <br />would be delivered to gap areas. There bas not <br />been any indication that water providers who <br />achieved future water conservation savings <br />would be willing to perpetually allocate saved <br />water to other water providers. In the event <br />that water providers would agree to <br />permanently sell conserved water to the gap <br />areas, significant infrastructure costs would <br />need to be added to the costs in the Table 2-1 <br />matrix. However, the successful <br />implementation of conservation in the gap areas <br />would reduce, but not eliminate the need for <br />renewable water sources. <br />2. A portion of conserved water can be used for <br />new growth, improving system reliability and <br />environmental flows but it is unlikely that it <br />will be used to provide water to other entities. <br />There bas not been any indication that water <br />providers who achieved future water <br />There is a need for the successful <br />implementation of water conservation <br />measures. However, successful implementation <br />will not eliminate the need for additional water <br />supply acquisition and development of <br />structural projects to meet growing water <br />demands that will continue beyond 2030. <br />- The recent drought exposed the <br />vulnerability of many providers' systems. <br />- Water providers have identified shortfalls in <br />existing system reliability and meeting <br />future demands. <br />- Coupled with the potential impacts of <br />climate variability and the fact that growth <br />will continue past 2030, it is clear that both <br />water conservation and structural water <br />projects will be needed to meet future M~eI <br />demands. <br />- Storage will be needed to carry over <br />conserved water for droughts. <br />It would be inaccurate and misleading <br />to look at statewide conservation <br />savings and arithmetically apply it to <br />the gap areas. This would assume that <br />saved water in other basins or other <br />geographic areas can or would be <br />delivered to gap areas. <br />4. A concern expressed by many water providers <br />to the implementation of water conservation <br />measures is that water conservation may be <br />used as a justification to delay the <br />implementation of structural projects that will <br />ultimately be needed. <br />2-26 FINAL DRAFT <br />