With summer over and sprinklers shut off for the season, Denver Water thanks our customers for a great year of water savings.
By the numbers …
This year’s unusually wet summer — in the top 15 percent of wettest years and in the bottom 15 percent of hottest summers on record — meant people didn’t need to water their lawns as much. This summer, our “Grass is Dumb” campaign said: “Water two minutes less. Your lawn won’t notice.”
The great news …
The rainy season wasn’t the only thing contributing to lower water use. We compared 2009 summer water usage to a similarly wet summer in 1995, and found our customers used two billion gallons less water than they did in 1995 — even though we have 17 percent more customers today!
For a secure water future …
When you use only what you need, it helps extend supplies into the future. Denver Water’s strategy to ensure water for the future includes our aggressive conservation programs, our recycled water treatment plant and distribution system, and developing additional water supply.
To keep rates lower …
Conservation is a less expensive supply option than acquiring more water rights or building new treatment or storage facilities to serve Denver’s growing population. Rates would be higher without conservation as a supply option. Denver Water’s rates are more affected by rising operating costs than by changes in water use. We take into account the variability of weather and other factors in our budgeting to provide a cushion in years of more or less precipitation. We also carry cash reserves to be used for decreases in revenue, such as weather variability.
For our kids …
Continue to use only what you need. This will make Denver a better place for your kids, your kids’ kids, and your kids’ kids’ kids.
Thanks for using only what you need.