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WATER CONSERVATION PLAN 2008 <br />complexity of the water rights and the potential reuse scenarios, the evaluation of reuse <br />options is continually reviewed. <br />Non - Potable Water Use <br />The City has the ability to reduce its overall treated water demand through the use of <br />non - potable water. As with any other Colorado municipal water provider, non - potable <br />water can be used for outdoor irrigation to save treatment and energy costs, especially in <br />cases where direct ditch rights are available adjacent or in close proximity to parks and <br />athletic fields. The City currently uses ditch water to irrigate approximately 27 city and <br />community parks, two golf courses, and thirteen schools totaling about 700 acres. The site <br />of the City's main recreation facility is also irrigated with raw water. Availability of raw <br />water for irrigation decreases demand for treated water from the treatment plant and <br />conserves energy and chemicals required for treatment. Currently raw water used for <br />irrigation is not consistently metered. <br />Future non - potable water use by the City will be evaluated to be improved and <br />expanded. Improvements to the non - potable irrigation system will be evaluated looking <br />at more efficient controllers and pumping stations, as well as expanding the use of non - <br />potable water to other City facilities. Conversion of treated water irrigation to non - <br />potable irrigation effectively reduces overall water use by the City, since raw water <br />savings will be realized due to reduced treatment plant water requirements (e.g., filter <br />backwash) and distribution system losses. Additionally, removing irrigation demands <br />from treated water supplies allows instream flows to remain in the St. Vrain Creek, one of <br />the area's most important cool and warm water fisheries, from the point of diversion at <br />the water treatment plant to diversions further downstream. Additional instream flows, <br />which are important to the City and its customers, can thereby be enhanced by increasing <br />the use of non - potable water for irrigation. <br />8.2.2 Demand -Side Measures and Programs <br />Educational Activities and Public Outreach <br />Water resources and water conservation education is the backbone of all water provider <br />customer -based programs. It is imperative that water customers have a basic <br />understanding of the very systems that support their way of life in such an essential <br />manner. Not surprisingly, much of the water conservation measures and programs that a <br />water provider can conduct to promote meaningful water conservation are based on <br />managing and adjusting water customer behaviors - behaviors that are based on <br />customers understanding how their actions influence the overall water system being <br />managed by the water provider. <br />In addition, customer awareness of City rebate and technical assistance programs, such as <br />audits, is required for these types of measures and programs to develop adequately and <br />reach into the City's customer base. <br />42 <br />