Water Conservation

Water Conservation Program Effective June 1, 2022:

• All properties north of Mountain Village Boulevard and Elk Run residents may water their landscaping on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays ONLY. Irrigation clocks must be set to run at a level of 70-75% of normal water consumption for the three days a week you are allowed to water. Irrigating hours will be either before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m.
• All properties south of Mountain Village Boulevard, plus the Ski Ranches and Skyfield, may water their landscaping on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays ONLY. Irrigation clocks must be set to run at a level of 70-75% of normal water consumption for the three days a week you are allowed to water. Irrigating hours will be either before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m.
• All exterior water features must be turned off during this conservation effort.
• Due to potential water contamination “cross-connection” occurrences, NO trucked in water will be allowed to be hooked up to existing irrigation systems.

To learn more about our smart irrigation incentive program, visit our incentive webpage.

Water Loss Vs. Water Conservation

Water loss and water conservation are two separate concepts. Water loss is an unintentional consequence that occurs both inside and outside the home when water infrastructure breaks or does not function properly. Examples of unintentional water loss include leaking/running toilets, broken pipes or broken sprinkler systems. When water loss goes undetected, you can incur significant costs for the wasted water. Also, this water requires a substantial amount of energy to be pumped up from deep in the ground, collected, purified and distributed by us.

Prevent Unnecessary Water Loss

1. Install a water leak detection system, such as a FloLogic device that is designed to prevent water loss in the event of an unknown leak. These systems shut off the water to your home if there is water running outside of the times of normal water use settings. For example, you could set the system to run unrestricted for two hours (enough time to do a load of laundry or run the dishwasher), but if water runs for a longer length of time (indicating a leak in the home), the system will detect that water is continuously running and will turn off the water to your home, preventing water loss. This type of system also works well to avoid water loss when residents are out of town for extended periods.
2. Work with your property manager and/or plumber to properly install, program and monitor a home water leak detection system.
3. Install a master valve on your lawn irrigation system. A master valve is a device that operates in conjunction with your lawn irrigation controller and is typically installed upstream of all valves on your irrigation system. The master valve only allows water to flow during your scheduled irrigation run times, thus protecting against undetected leaks in your irrigation system. For a sprinkler zone to turn on, both the master valve and the individual zone valve must turn on to have water.
4. Work with your landscaping or irrigation professionals to properly install, program and monitor an irrigation master valve.
5. Have your irrigation system checked regularly. An unintended leak in your irrigation system, with a hole as small as 1/16 of an inch, can waste as much as 25,000 gallons of water in a month.
6. Use a cover over your pool or spa to reduce water loss from evaporation by over 90 percent.
7. Fix a running toilet to save between 25,000 and 50,000 gallons of water a month. Place a few drops of food coloring into the tank to see if it disappears without flushing, an indication of a leak.
8. Tighten your faucets. A faucet leaking every three seconds will waste more than 30 gallons of water a month.

Water Conservation

Water conservation measures are voluntary ways you can reduce water use, both inside and outside the home, to protect and preserve precious water resources. Globally, water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, so please follow these tips.

Laundering Water Conservation Tips

1. Presoak heavily soiled clothes in a solution of water and baking soda instead of adding more detergent or using hotter water.
2. When doing laundry, make sure to wash a full load. This may save up to 1,000 gallons of water each month.
3. Instead of automatically throwing everything you’ve worn once into the laundry pile, only wash clothes that need it.
4. Save energy with every wash load – select a cold rinse cycle instead of a warm or hot one.