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Conservation Alliance from page 1 showed an actual annual savings of 7,440 gallons, and toilet replacement programs showed nearly 27,000 gallons saved per year. Customers taking advantage of audit programs and washing machine rebate programs are significantly higher water users than average while customers taking advantage of the landscape conversion incentive programs studied are actually significantly lower than average water users in their community. Toilet replacement programs showed the lowest cost to the utility to save an AF of water ($181). The ultimate goal of the ECoBA research is to serve as a resource for water resource managers who must decide how to use water conservation programs most effectively, to ann them with knowledge of actual program results and offer apples -to- apples comparisons of costs to implement a variety of programs. The entire ECoBA Report is now available on the Water CASA web site: www.��atereasa.org, or contact the Drachman Institute, 520- 623 -2023. Conservation Saves More from page 1 with the City of Fort Collins Climate Wise program to quantify greenhouse gas emission reduction through water conservation. Climate Wise encourages businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing waste, saving energy, using alternative transportation and preventing pollution. Recently, water conservation has been included. "The Climate Wise program has already surpassed its 2010 goal of reducing the city's annual CO2 emissions by more than 93,000 tons," said Kathy Collier, a city environmental planner." Adding water conservation should help us reach our new 2010 target faster." Efficiency Projects When water and energy efficiency Projects are considered together, often the savings from one can help pay for improvements for the other and vice versa. Integrating water and energy assessments can improve paybacks for Capital projects. '.The Brendle Group conducted domestic � t gation and process water audits at several buildings on the University Research Notes With increased interest in using reclaimed water on Colorado landscapes, it's important to watch the research on potential impacts. There are two recent studies, both in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture, Dec. 2005. • Evaluation of Treated Effluent As An Irrigation Source For Landscape Plants, by Fox and others • Effects Of Long -Term Recycled Wastewater Irrigation On Visual Quality And Ion Concentrations Of Ponderosa Pine, by Qian and others. The Bureau of Reclamation is funding a variety of conservation- related projects in 2006. These include: • Xeriscape Garden — Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District ( SECWCD). This Xeriscape garden is the first of its kind in the Pueblo area. This garden educates local users about the type of plants and hardscape to incorporate in of Colorado campus in Boulder. Conservation measures based on the audit results saved the university more than 76 million gallons per year for a cost savings of just over $380,000 and a 4.3 year payback. The water projects with a shorter payback helped finance energy improvements with longer paybacks. At Fort Collins Utilities, the electric and water utilities have teamed up to provide clothes washer rebates, conservation kits, technical audits, marketing materials and environmental education programs. Customers are appreciative of the combined approach, and Fort Collins Utilities saves money and staff resources and reaches customers more effectively. Water Planning Despite the connection between water and energy, few water planners include energy implications in their decisiommaking. "Water and energy conservation are often stove -piped as separate programs, but planners are starting to see the value of a systems approach," said engineer Judy Dorsey, president of the Brendle Group. Coordinating water and energy planning can be difficult because utilities (water, electricity and gas) are often provided by different agencies. However, even their own lawns. The garden is located at the SECWCD Headquarters. A variety of local entities contributed time and funds to the garden. Evapotranspiration Rates For Xeriscape Plants — Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. This project monitors the growth and water usage of 45 typical landscape plants (15 species with three replications of each). Weekly measurements are taken of the amount of water used, with daily observation of two species at a time, rotated throughout the growing season to obtain daily data. The plants are established in drainage lysimeters and the measured area covered by the plants is related to an equivalent coverage area of turfgrass. Based on the size of the plant, estimates of the amount of water being used are compared to turfgrass. The project is to be completed after the 2003 growing season. agencies that provide multiple utilities rarely integrate planning, operations and outreach. Although various agencies have different missions, creating partnerships can benefit all. With the threat of climate change and the rising costs for energy and water, now is the time to form partnerships among service providers to integrate planning for the future. At the very least, it's time to inform customers about water and energy connections and to encourage therm to use all resources wisely. Resources City of Fort Collins Climate Wise: www.fcgov.com/climatewise Fort Collins Utilities: www.fcgov.com/utilities Natural Resources Defense Council, Energv Down the Drain: The Hidden Costs of California's Water Supply: www nrdc org/water /conservation/edrain/ contents.asn Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, Less Snow, Less Water, Climate Disruption in the West: www rockymountainclimate.ora The Brendle Group: www.brendlegroup.com [77