Colorado Springs Utilities is easing into plans for a drier year. Its board has approved entering into the first steps of its drought preparedness plan, as the state emerges from its driest winter in decades.
Wednesday’s vote to enter formal “Water Shortage Preparation” does not yet mean water restrictions for the city, like those set to begin in Denver. Rather, it’s an action that opens extra operational tools the city can use to support the local water system. Additionally, it allows a wider communications budget to promote more water conservation among its customers.
Abby Ortega manages the utilities' Infrastructure and Resource Planning team. She said it's important to keep a close eye on conditions and usage.
“Even though our storage looks okay today,” she said, “what's coming into our reservoirs this year is going to be less than what we're used to.”
The vote begins a public awareness campaign promoting what the utility calls its “water-wise rules.” These include requesting residents water plants no more than three days per week and only during hours before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. This is to reduce evaporation during the heat of the day.
Residents are also asked to repair leaking sprinkler systems, use shut-off nozzles with hoses and to only clean hard surfaces like driveways or patios with water if there’s a health or safety concern.
Ortega said the utility is only expecting 54 percent of normal snowpack runoff to flow into the city’s reservoirs this year. However, she added that the city remains well-positioned with three years of demand currently in reservoir storage. If that storage falls below a year and a half of demand, then they'll move to institute water restrictions.
“Today, we’re not in that situation,” Ortega said. “We expect storage to drop, but we don't expect it to drop to those extreme levels.”
A potentially positive side effect of this year’s warm winter is that it led to lower natural gas use for utilities across the region. More of that gas remains in storage, prompting the Colorado Springs Utilities board to recommend a rate decrease for customers. That decrease would lower average residential gas bills by nearly $10 per month.
The recommendation goes before the city council — also the Colorado Springs Utilities board — during its Tuesday meeting.
If approved, the new rates would take effect on April 1.
