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.
- Benefits
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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
- Potential Activities
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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
- Example
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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.
- City Plan Strategic Objectives
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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?
The Efficiency Works store sells water- and energy-saving products, including LED lighting, smart thermostats and showerheads.
Epic Homes offers $60 home energy assessments that can find ways to reduce utility costs and increase comfort.
You can save water when washing smaller loads by selecting the setting for the corresponding water level.