Ft Collins Soil Amendment Applic

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City of Fort Collins Water Utility Water Saving Benefits of Composted Manure Soil Amendment PART 2 - PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1. The need for this project is based upon the fact that there is no scientifically-determined and regionally-applicable answer to the question, "What are the water-saving benefits of adding composted manure to soil, prior to landscaping?" An accurate answer to that question is essential to making wise and cost-effective decisions regarding this water conservation measure. Such information would be useful to not only the City of Fort) Collins, but to many other Colorado communities that may consider requiring or promoting the addition of organic materials to landscaping soils for its water-saving benefits. Although this proposed project does not fall within one of the three emphasized categories of water conservation measures, it is targeted at the single largest residential, water use category; landscape watering. With an estimated 50% of residential water use in the state going towards landscape irrigation, any water conservation measure that could' improve the efficiency of that water use by even a few percent would be significant. It is very possible that the addition of composted manure to landscaped soils would achieve that. Furthermore, any water conservation measure that successfully lowers landscape watering has the additional benefit oflowering a utility's peak water demand-the primary factor in the expensive endeavor of expanding water treatment capacity. The study would be implemented with the use of a rebate program to recruit volunteers V to add the composted manure to their soil. The rebate would be for approximately half of the cost of the material. Fifty homes would be given rebates. A second group of 50 homes would be selected for the fact that they had not added organic material to their soil. This selection would be performed through contacting landscape contractors and homebuilders, and/or a survey. Both groups would be as nearly identical as possible, as far as geographic distribution, type and maturity of landscape, soil types, watering practices, etc. Both groups would receive educational materials on efficient lawn watering. The intent would be to isolate the variable of whether or not organic material had been added to the sOil. Landscaping water use would be calculated by subtracting the indoor water use (as determined by average monthly winter use) from the total use during the watering season. The participants in this research study would consist of: (1) the City of Fort Collins Water Utility, (2) the 100 homeowners serving as subject households, and possibly (3) a consultant hired for assisting with the statistical analysis. 2. The change in water use would be calculated as an integral part of the research study.