Vail Valley Consolidated WD 1996 WCPlan

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Vail Valley Consolidated Water District Water Conservation Master Plan April 15, 1996 Page 7 e) During the first year following approval of this plan, the District will conduct studies to survey existing conditions and investigate the feasibility and cost effectiveness of programs to encourage the installation of retrofit devices in the commercial water use sector. D. Water reuse systems, both potable and non potable 1. Purpose The District encourages the use of treated effluent for landscape iITigation, and industrial purposes that do not require the level of treatment necessary for potable uses. This conservation measure is particularly important in the Gore Creek and Eagle River Valleys as a means of protecting instream flows, reducing capital costs for treatment and distribution facilities, and reducing operating costs. 2. Program a) Water for snowmaking on Vail Mountain is diverted from Gore Creek just below the "outfall" of the Vail Wastewater Treatment Plant and diversions for snowmaking are limited to "outfall" flows unless minimum stream flows are adequately satisfied. This approach provides recycling of treated wastewater for snowmaking purposes and protects stream flows needed to sustain aquatic habitat. E. Distribution system leak repair 1. Purpose In the District's water system, water distribution losses occur in three forms: 1) metering inaccuracy; 2) unmetered usage; and 3) distribution system leakage. One . . ..__ of the primary effec~ of .distributi.on system losses is reduced revenue to the District. This is obvious in the case of metering inaccuracy and unmetered use. However, in the case of distribution system leakage, not only does the District experience higher pumping and treatment costs, but higher diversions cause lower flows in Gore Creek and the Eagle River, even though leakage eventually finds its way back to the stream. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the District to reduce overall distribution system losses to an acceptable level. During the last few years, the District has established programs to improve metering of its customers and reduce losses to the distribution system. 2. Program The following programs are currently in place and are directed at reducing system losses and achieving the distribution system improvements described above.