Colo Springs 1998 WCPlan

• Project Type: Water Conservation Plan
• Project Name: Colorado Springs Utilities Water Conservation Plan
• Title: Water Conservation Plan
• Date: 1/31/1997
• County: El Paso
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

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2. Colorado Springs has been a national leader in such proven conservation measures as
metering (the City was fully metered in the 1940s); wastewater reuse (the City was a
pioneer in using treated wastewater for irrigation of medians, parks, cemeteries, campuses
and golf courses; with a program on line in 1961); its award winning Xeriscape
Demonstration Garden which opened in 1992; and an evapotranspiration lawn watering
guide based on information gathered from weather stations throughout the City which
began in 1991. These measures were implemented in the spirit of stewardship of the
resource, and not as a result of legislative requirements.

3. The Department prepared a report to Colorado Springs City Council in 1991, which
reviewed conservation programming in light of the requirements HB91-1154.
Preparation of the report was accomplished through a Citizens Committee, which met
throughout the year to discuss implications and make recommendations, The 1991 report
proposed reviewing Code, policies and regulations to determine compatibility with the
general goals of the City's existing water conservation program.

The Water Resources Plan - An Integrated Planning Effort

Shortly after enactment ofHB91-1154, the Colorado Springs Water Resources
Department embarked on a long-term planning process which will culminate in
improvements to the delivery system sufficient to meet the City's water needs through the
year 2040. The Department saw this effort as the appropriate vehicle to reassess its
existing conservation programs in full view of its public, Accordingly, conservation was
included as one of the four major components of providing for future needs. A series of
public meetings were held over five years at which conservation impacts and needs, along
with other components of the Water Resources Plan (WRP), were discussed. The
meetings were, of course, fully advertised in newspaper, radio and TV.

A Citizens Review Committee was formed of volunteers and special interest group
representatives to study "Water for the 21st Century", Ultimately, a Citizens Water
Conservation Committee was formed to study conservation needs and develop a
Conservation Master Plan. ConctITrenfwith this work, the Departmentliii-ed
Montgomery Watson to conduct an in-depth study of current practices and how
much water could be saved by implementing additional measures.

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A schedule of the Conservation Committee meetings, and a copy of the workbook and
brochures about the planning process are included with this report to give the Board a
sense of the depth of the public process involved. The Water Resource Plan, which
incorporated the Conservation Program Plan, was posted in access of the required
60-day period from November, 1995 through March, 1996. The Conservation Plan
was posted at 30 S. Nevada, 7th floor office of WRD, at the Xeriscape
Demonstration Garden at the Water Control Center, presented in Buena Vista,
Salida, Canon City and Leadville. The plan was also displayed at the Colorado
Springs Public Library (ELIC), the Chapel Hills Mall and the Citadel Mall.