Ft Collins 1995 WCPlan

• Project Type: Water Conservation Plan
• Project Name: City of Fort Collins Water Conservation Program
• Title: Water Conservation Program
• Date: 12/21/1995
• County: Larimer
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

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Since the initiation of the program, 23 loans have been made, with -22 of these being for
service line replacements, one for the installation of an ultra-low flush toilet, and none for
repairing leaking plumbing 'fixtures. '

As of January I, 1994, federal law required that all toilets manufactured in the U.S. meet
the ultra-low (1.6 gallon per flush) standard. This lessens the benefit of including ultra-low
flush toilets in the zero-interest loan program for two reasons: (1) it is likely that the cost
for the toilets will decrease, due to the increased production and competition, and (2) there
is no need 'to create an incentive for the ultra-low flush toilets over the higher water-
requiring models, since the latter are no longer available.. However, there is still one
primary benefit of keeping the ultra-low flush toilets in the zero-interest loan program; to
encourage people who might not otherwise replace an existing higher water-requiring toilet.

METERING PROGRAM
A major component of the water conservation program is the metering program. The metering
program was brought about by a 1990 state bill, which requires the installation of meters on all
new services, as of July 1, 1990. The state bill additionally requires the conversion of all
existing non-metered services to metered service by January 1,2009, with two incremental check
points in the years 2000 and 2005.

The current intent is to gradually convert the non-metered services to metered services over the
allowed time period, with a built-in three year cushion. This equates to a rate of approximately
1300 ,single family and duplex services needing to be converted to metered service each year
between January I, 1991 and December 31,2005.

Thus far, all of the conversions to metered service have been on a voluntary basis. The current
plan is to stay with a volunteer approach, until the inevitable point when the rate of customers
volunteering falls below the goal of 1300 conversions per year.

As of December 31, 1994,5,127 meters were installed in previously un-metered homes, as
_ __ _ _ __ _ __ cOffipared tQ.the t"rE"t .of 5,200illstalJat.wnsOC''FAerefure,-the meterirrg-progra-rrris jusnlfglitfy'
under the target. Additionally, since July 1, 19902,509 meters have been installed in newly-
constructed homes and duplexes. With these two totals, approximately 40% of single-family
residences and duplexes in Fort Collins are now metered.

WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH

In 1992 the Water/Wastewater Utility was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Colorado Office
of Water Conservation to study the water-saving benefits of amending landscape soils with
compost. During 1994, the study was essentially completed, with a small amount of data
analysis and the report-writing remaining to be accomplished in early 1995.

Although studies have been performed to determine the potential water savings benefits of
amending soil with compost, there have been no regionally-applicable scientific studies that have

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