Area of Opportunity 2#
Promote and support greater outdoor water efficiency#
For Fort Collins Utilities’ customers, outdoor water use can be nearly 60 percent of total use during the peak summer months. Landscape choices that are appropriate for our semi-arid climate will help to reduce our use and increase our resiliency. Without proper maintenance and attention, watering and irrigation systems can waste up to 50 percent of that water due to evaporation, wind, runoff and broken/ineffective irrigation hardware. By improving our efficiency outdoors, we stand to save a lot of water.
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- Reduce peak season and peak day demands, which impact system capacity needs and long-term planning
- Customer benefits through lower bills, reduced indirect effects of improper irrigation, increased home and property value
- Fewer wasting water issues
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- Residential and commercial irrigation programs
- Xeriscape Incentive Program
- Customer and contractor training series
- Interactive demonstrations and workshops
- Educational water budget tool
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Over 6000 sprinkler audits have been conducted over the past 20 years, with an estimated potential savings of more than 5,000,000 gallons each year. Many of these savings are simply from improving controller adjustments.
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This Area of Opportunity aligns with City Plan Strategic Objectives (PDF 6.2MB) 1.11, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 and 7.5.
Did You Know?
Installing plastic covers over single-pane windows during the winter can help your home perform better.
Pre-heating your home before 5 p.m. in the winter and coasting through the on-peak hours can save money on your utility bill.
Customers experience some of the best reliability in the country with the average household being without power for less than 20 minutes per year – that means service is available 99.99% of the time!