Minutes July 2008 CBRT

• Basin Roundtable: Colorado
• Title: Colorado Minutes 7/08
• Date: 7/28/2008
• Basin Roundtables - Doc Type: Minutes

10. Stan Cazier noted that the IBCC will be meeting in Grand Junction in August. Greg Trainor
noted that a number of other Roundtable members will be at the Colorado River District Seminar
in Grand Junction in September and that we might take advantage of this for a BRT meeting.
11. Denver Water Presentation on Conservation and Re-use: Bill Bates, Lee Cesario, Mellissa
Elliot
a. Denver Water began this program in 1976 and has averaged savings of 25,000 of over the
past five years.
b. The Moffat Tunnel agreement of 1940 prohibits DW from re-using water from the Fraser
basin in order to offset evaporation losses from the reservoirs on the South Platte.
A lawn irrigation return flow project was started in 1999, looping to recover water that goes
beyond the root zone and into the groundwater. If the court agrees they intend to recover and
re-use this water when it becomes surface water. A water rights application is pending and
DW anticipates recovery of about 4500 of per year by 2016.
d. DW is developing a downstream reservoir project that will convert old gravel pits along the
South Platte for use as storage. Tlus storage will be used for exchange for upstream
diversions and to augment deliveries to the recycling project.
e. Recycled water project -water quality is good, but not recommended as drii~lcing water.
Some issues involve reduced flows downstream from Denver. So far there have been no
objections from a water rights standpoint.
f. Conservation and the "Tap Smart" program. Goals are to reduce water consumption by
39,400 of by 2016, dropping per capita use from 211 gallons per day to 165. Why stress
conservation? It is the right thing to do and benefits the West Slope. Demand is dropping as
population is growing.
g. Conservation methods: Education and outreach. Trying to actually get into peoples homes
for refitting and changing water use habits. Reduce waste. No lawn watering between 10 am
and 6 pm. Soil amendment requirements for new developments. Toilet retro fit - 1500 low
income homes per year at no cost to the customer. Irrigation audits can save up to 30%.
h. "Use only what you need" campaign being done by DW and will promote water conservation
throughout the Front Range.
i. Challenges: Drought memory is fading. Recession will nape it harder to afford new
retrofits. Media not very interested in water efficiency, yet are currently going nuts about
being "green". Counter conservation argument -that conservation is just "saving" water for
more growth and future taps at our expense.
j. Colorado WaterWise Council -Denver and Aurora are spending 90% of the money going to
conservation in Colorado.
12. Presentation from Gunnison Basin Roundtable: Hugh Sandberg
I:AInterbasin Compact Committee~Basin Roundtables\Colorado~Minutes~Ivlunrtes Juh~ 2008 CBRT.doc