Conserve Water

Small Changes Residents Can Make

•  Reset your automatic sprinklers to reduce the time per zone by just a few minutes. Reducing the time per zone from 15 minutes to 12 minutes is a 20% reduction! 
•  Take your car to the carwash instead of washing it in your driveway. It uses less water and you are supporting a local business. 
•  When doing laundry, always wash full loads 
•  Shorten your shower by a minute or two. Setting a timer may help. 
•  Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off driveways and sidewalks 
•  Report water theft from fire hydrants. Call non-emergency dispatch at 970-385-2900 with a description of the vehicle and license plate number. 
•  Know where your master water shut-off valve is located. This could save water and prevent damage to your home. 
•  If your toilet was installed before 1992, insert a displacement device in the tank (try wrapping a brick in aluminum foil) 
•  If you are staying in one of our local hotels, re-use your towels instead of having them replaced daily. 

Want to do more?

•  Only water between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. – not during the heat of the day when much of it evaporates 
•  Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet 
•  Spread a layer of mulch around trees, bushes and plants to help retain the moisture and discourage weeds 
•  Install a rain sensor on your irrigation controller 
•  Retrofit sprinkler heads in landscaping with micro sprinkler and/or drip irrigation 
•  Install water saving aerators on your showerheads and faucets 
•  Compost food waste instead of using the garbage disposal 

Want to do even more?

•  If you hand water , install a drip irrigation system on a timer 
•  Use native or drought tolerant plants in your landscaping 
•  Maybe it's time to replace that old washer with an energy efficient model. Conventional washers built before 2011 typically use about 40 gallons per load, whereas a newer, energy efficient model may only use 15 gallons. Front loading machines generally use less water than a top-loading model. 
•  Replace older toilets with low-flow toilets. Some older toilets use as much as 7 gallons per flush. Look for the EPA WaterSense program label for a toilet that only uses 1.26 gallons per flush.