Gilcrest WC Project Final Report

• Project Type: Ag/Muni Grant
• Contract/PO #: C153613
• Applicant: Town of Gilcrest
• Project Name: Water Conservation Project
• Title: Gilcrest Water Conservation Project Final Report
• County: Weld
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Final Report

WAS~EWA~ER FLOWS. 1992-93 VS. 1993-94

December
January
February
March

1992-1993
Gallons
C1.000}
4,809
4,728
4,185
4,163

1993-1994
Gallons
C1.000}
3,535
3.682
3,336
3,399

MONTHLY MEAN

4,471

3,488

The 1993-94 winter wastewater flows average 22\ less than the prior
year. Since there was minimal population change, this change in
wastewater production can be assumed to result from changes in
water use, both technological and behavioral.

PROBLEHS/OPPOR~UHITIES
The installation of water conserving devices in 96\ of all homes
was an ambitious goal. In implementing this task, there were some
significant, unforeseen problems and opportunities which should be
considered by other communities when initiating such a project.
Problems encountered included.

a. Difficulty in .aking appoint.ents and scheduling the ti.e to
.ake the installations.

The biggest problem the contractor had was reaching residents to
make an appointment and finding a time when the resident would
agree to stay home. On average, each household was contacted 4
times before an appointment could be made. Over 40 households had
to be contacted over 10 times to be scheduled. Phone tag was a
constant problem because the contractor typically called during the
day and left a message and the residents returned calls in the
evening or on weekends when the contractor was gone. (The
contractor's main office was in Denver, a long distance call.)
Contractors should plan to make multiple phone calls per household
with time scheduled for calling in the evenings. The best times
for installation appointments were late afternoons, evenings and
Saturdays. Additionally. for safety and educational reasons, the
work should only be completed when an adult is present.

b. proble.s with hard water deposits on plu.bing fixtures.

The second problem most often encountered was the difficulty of
installing the water devices because of mineral deposits on
faucets, showerheads and in toilets. Because the Town' s water
supply had high mineral content. deposits and rust around the
threads of existing aerators made it difficult to remove them to
install the new ones. In 11 houses, the contractor broke faucets
trying to remove the old aerators and had to replace them. Also.
the orifices for the toilet flappers were frequently corroded over

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