Drought & Water Management

• Title: What the Current Drought Means for the Future of Water Management in Colorado
• Date: 1/1/2003
• Description: 2002 Drought Impact Report
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Reports

B. Conservation and Demand Management
Water users have increasingly incorporated demand management into their water supply
strategies. Nearly all cities now require the use of water meters and most large and medium -sized
cities have adopted water conservation -based water rate structures, promote the installation of
water - efficient appliances, fixtures and landscaping, and provide a wide range of education and
guidance on efficient water use to their customers. Farmers increasingly employ a range of more
efficient irrigation techniques such as surge valves and low- pressure sprinklers and benefit from
irrigation scheduling information programs provided by conservancy districts and agricultural
extension services.
Demand management is undoubtedly the best strategy for responding to drought. With proper
planning, municipal water demands can be reduced quickly, flexibly and with relatively low cost
in response to drought through the use of watering restriction programs and appropriate water
rate structures coupled with focused public information programs. In 2002, Colorado cities and
towns reduced their normal water demand by an average of about 10% or 100,000 acre -feet.
Municipal demand reduction responses in 2002 allowed cities to cope with an extraordinary
drought while sustaining only relatively minor, temporary damages and without having to invest
billions of dollars in new supply projects.
Despite the commitment that some Colorado municipalities have made to increase end -use
efficiency, there is still a great potential for doing more. For example, the Metropolitan Water
Supply Investigation (Final Report) contains population projections ( "build -out" or 2040) and
water demand estimates that imply per capita use along the Front Range of 235 gallons per capita
per day (gcd). A reduction of this figure to 200 gcd or even 190 gcd (still very reasonable and
achievable, see Smart Water report) translates into between 168,000 acre -feet and 215,000 acre -
feet of demand reduction. Applied to the state as a whole, municipal demand reduction alone
could exceed 250,000 acre -feet.
Any reasonable conservation program should contain three primary features: 1) a multi - tiered
price structure [at least three tiers that account for indoor, outdoor, and excessive outdoor levels];
2) water use education; 3) incentives to purchase and replace inefficient water use devices [see
AWWA article on indoor water use savings potential] and to invest in lower water use
landscaping. In Colorado, this translates into programs of
The thorough integration of demand management into future planning and supply
development;
➢ Universal ascending three- tiered pricing structures;
➢ Point -of -sale and point -of- rental- license- renewal requirements (with appropriate monetary
incentives) for installation and inspection of ULV toilets, faucets, showerheads, washing
machines and dishwashers; inspection and correction of leaks between meter and building;
➢ Minimum topsoil and organic matter content requirements for lawn installation or renewal,
moisture sensor overrides on automatic sprinklers;
➢ Provision of real -time meter reading capability for individual customers;
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