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<br />I <br /> <br />Metropolitan Water Supply Investigation <br /> <br />MWSI Results <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />obtainable by enlarging existing reservoirs, building new reservoirs or storage in aquifers <br />under a conjunctive use project could be used to regulate water from additional transbasin <br />diversions. <br /> <br />3.1.4.4. Water Reuse <br /> <br />This source includes supplies derived from legally reusable return flows through <br />exchanges, plans of augmentation and direct reuse. Generally speaking, municipal water <br />providers have the right to reuse to extinction the return flows resulting from municipal <br />use of imported sources, Denver Basin groundwater sources and the historically <br />consumed portion of changed irrigation rights. Water reuse has become a significant <br />source of municipal supply only within the last 25 years. Water reuse currently provides <br />approximately 6% of the basin's municipal water supply. Supplies from this source are <br />expected to increase in the future as municipal providers make more use of exchange and <br />direct reuse opportunities. <br /> <br />3.1.4.5. Denver Basin (Nontributary) Groundwater <br /> <br />Pumping of Denver Basin (nontributary) groundwater has become a significant municipal <br />water source only within the last 20 years. Its principal area of use is within Douglas and <br />Arapahoe Counties where municipal water providers and individual domestic, industrial <br />and irrigation users have found it to be a readily available and relatively inexpensive <br />source. Denver Basin groundwater currently provides approximately 4% of the South <br />Platte Basin's municipal water supply. Supplies from this source are expected to increase <br />in the future as municipal providers in the South service area region increase their use of <br />existing well decrees. Future growth in Denver Basin groundwater use may be reduced <br />significantly if a conjunctive use project is implemented. <br /> <br />3.1.4.6. Water Conservation <br /> <br />Water conservation includes all measures designed to reduce water demands of end users <br />and to encourage wise water use. As used in this report, water conservation includes <br />education, incentives, rates, meters, xeriscape, restrictions, water-efficient fixtures, <br />appliances and irrigation systems, ordinances, etc. It has been estimated that water <br />conservation currently results in a 17% reduction in municipal water demand basin-wide. <br /> <br />It is expected that water conservation will play an increasingly important role in meeting <br />future water demands as voluntary conservation programs are pursued more extensively <br />by water providers, as water-efficient fixtures and appliances become more <br />commonplace, and as water conservation-oriented water rate structures are increasingly <br />used. <br /> <br />Individual providers have historically made water conservation decisions in the metro <br />Denver area. In other areas of the U.S., water conservation has been approached at a <br />regional level. For example, under the CALFED program to address water supply and <br />environmental issues in California's Bay Delta area, a regional 'Best Management <br /> <br />27 <br /> <br />Prepared for the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Department of Natural Resources by <br />Hydrosphere Resource Consultants. 1002 Walnut Street. Suite 200. Boulder. CO 80302 <br />