Cortez 1996 WC Plan

• Project Type: Water Conservation Plan
• Project Name: City of Cortez Water Conservation Plan
• Title: City of Cortez Water Conservation Plan
• Date: 7/18/1996
• County: Montezuma
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

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CITY OF CORTEZ WATER CONSERVATION PLAN
WATER CONSERVATION APPROACHES

The City will be approaching water conservation throughout Cortez from many
directions. The first priority will be to look at the City's water use practices to make its
uses more efficient. The City's water conservation practices must be utilized within the
City's own facilities before major emphasis is put onto the public. Following the City's
internal examination and changes will be emphasis on the residents and commercial
users on ways of making their consumption more efficient.

Listed below are the potential areas wherein water conservation can be utilized.

A) METERING - All residential and commercial accounts are metered. Some of the
City's functions such as parks irrigation and some buildings do not have meters at this
time. Meters will be added to the smaller 3/4" and 1" parks services in 1996 to monitor
consumption and system use. The larger meters for buildings and big park irrigation
lines will be added as time and funds allow in 1996 and 1997.

B) LEAK DETECTION - Continue the City's aggressive leak prevention and repair
policies. Leaking service lines are replaced with better materials. Main lines listed for
replacement in capital plans when leaks begin to occur. The City will also continue to
bring in consultants to audit lines for potential leaks on a two to three year cycle. The
City does not have a system-wide loss factor now; however, beginning in January of
1996, the City will be able to audit consumption of accounts more completely. These
metered consumption figures from the new utility program allow the City to watch for
unaccounted water much better. The City will strive for a system-wide loss factor of 10%
or less.

C) EFFICIENT IRRIGATION PRACTICES - Promote efficient irrigation practices for
private lawn owners by advertising information and providing packets of information
handouts at Public Works offices. New homeowners would be specifically targeted for
proper new owner installation with water conservation ideas. Automatic irrigation
systems would be promoted with best operating plans. Public lawn areas would receive
. --...tne--Sam&--type-of-atteAtiGn,-but-with mere--direct technical assists. ";0: ci:s ihe-targest
irrigators on the system.

D) XERISCAPE - A demonstration plot of xeriscaping will be constructed in the
City's new Parque de Vida. The intent will be to have actual plantings and watering
information in a functioning setting to show residents what can be done. The actual
presence of such a plot will promote xeriscaping as much as any kind of advertising.

E) EDUCATION & PUBLIC AWARENESS - Promotion of water conservation
information to citizens through handouts, City mailings, information clips in the
newspaper, and personal contact to increase public awareness of water use and
conservation. The City will work with the local school district in a cooperative effort to
develop an educational program for water issues, with conservation as a key
component.

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