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<br />Performing the audits <br /> <br />City staff scheduled the audits with the residents and gave the schedule to the contractor <br />one week in advance. Appointments were made during working hours on weekdays and <br />all day on Saturdays. No evening appointments were made. Appointments were sched- <br />uled for morning or afternoon, not for a specific time. By special request, more specific <br />appointments were set up. <br /> <br />Scheduling and keeping appointments was a constant challenge. It was often hard to find <br />a convenient time for the auditor to visit the home. Also, there was a problem with the <br />auditor being late for appointments or not showing up, or the resident not being home. It <br />would have worked better to have the contractor schedule the appointments. Part of the <br />problem was that the contractor came from Denver and with bad weather and long dis- <br />tance telephone calls, the appointments did not get canceled or rescheduled. Also, it <br />proved difficult to schedule according to location and that meant that appointments were <br />often on opposite sides of town. <br /> <br />These are the steps the auditor performed at the residence: <br /> <br />Step 1. Met the customer. The auditor was identified as an EARS employee and <br />carried a City of Loveland badge. After introductions, the auditor encouraged the <br />resident to follow along throughout the assessment and retrofit. This way, the auditor <br />could explain the procedures and provide tips for water conservation practices. <br /> <br />Step 2. Filled out a Water Use Assessment Form. The form contained information <br />about the household, home and audit results. Weekly, the contractor turned in com- <br />pleted Water Use Assessment Forms (Attachment H) to the City. The auditors could <br />have been better trained to fill out the form. New auditors that joined the project did <br />not always fill out the form correctly or completely. <br /> <br />Step 3. Checked for water leaks. Leaks were looked for by making sure the water <br />meter was not moving when all water was turned off in the residence; inspecting all <br />faucets and showerheads; and using dye tablets to detect toilet leaks. <br /> <br />Any identified leaks were brought to the attention of the resident. The resident was <br />responsible for necessary repairs unless a very minor adjustment could be made to <br />correct the problem. A problem encountered during the audit project was that the me- <br />ter boxes were covered with snow and therefore, this part of the audit was not per- <br />formed. There were 81 toilet leaks located; 52 of them were repaired by the auditor <br />by replacing the flapper or making a minor adjustment. There were 31 other leaks <br />found in faucets and showers. <br /> <br />Step 4. Measured flow capacities. Flow capacities of existing showerheads, faucets <br />and toilets were measured or estimated. In retrospect, it would have been helpful to <br />inventory household water usage habits-how many loads of laundry or dishes per <br />week, how many showers or baths a day, etc. Then, the overall water consumption <br />for each fixture or appliance could have been figured and recommendations made for <br />conservation measures. <br /> <br />6 <br />