After 15 years of drought and a growing population left fighting over a dwindling water supply, communities across the West are turning to conservation. Many local residents are finding ways to conserve water by converting their front and back yards from water-thirsty lawns to more water-resourceful plants and surfaces./Photo by Jennaye Derge

Wasteful spending

City’s plan to encourage conservation appears to be holding water

by Tracy Chamberlin

 

Conservation. It’s the buzz word for water managers across the West, a crucial part of Colorado’s water plan and one of the reasons for a hike in Durango’s water rates.

“The idea is that the higher rates encourage folks to use less water,” said Mary Beth Miles, assistant to the city manager.

And, their idea just might be working.

Residents are telling some local landscaping companies that their rising water bill is behind their decision to make a change.

Owner and operator of Genesis Land and Waterscapes, Chad White, remembered one project last fall where a customer wanted to convert portions of their lawn from grass to other ground covers that use less water. Their decision was a direct response to the city’s rise in water rates.

For the homeowners, it was all about the math.

The average household, which uses about 12,000 gallons of water per month, saw its monthly water bill go from $39 to $58 in January this year. That’s a 50 percent increase.

These new rates are slightly different for each season. Customers pay a higher rate during the summer months of May to August, when outside water use peaks and the average household can use three times as much water.

However, there are several ways to offset that, including tearing out lawn and replacing it with native plants or hardscape.

Jason Lum, owner of Naturescapes, has also heard concerns from customers about the changing water rates. “Early this spring, we had several people mention that,” he said.

One of the main things Lum’s company does is tear out grass. It can be replaced by xeriscaping, landscape using native plants and ground covers that don’t require a lot of water, flagstone or a host of other low-maintenance and water-conscious options.

Turning to native plants can certainly lower the water bill, but looking to where you live goes beyond the budget. It’s about working with what you’ve got, White said.

Leveling the paying field: Starting this month, everyone pays the same Not all water bills are going up. Residents who live outside the city limits but are hooked up to the city’s water system will get a welcome change in July – lower rates and a credit on their bills. When the Durango City Council first voted to approve higher water rates, it was a two-tiered rate structure. People living within the city were to pay one rate, and those living outside would pay twice as much. For example, the base rate for a 5/8-inch meter, which according to the city makes up 92 percent of all meters, is $12.46 in Durango. For a household connected to the city water system but sitting outside city limits, the base rate would be $24.92. The public outcry that followed the Council’s decision forced it to make another change. This time, everyone is set to pay the same rate. With all the subsequent meetings, discussions, votes and paperwork needed to make that change, residents living outside the city have been paying the higher rate since the first of the year. They will get refunded for the difference and should start to see the new rate on their July bills, along with a credit for the additional money they’ve paid since January. The practice of charging different rates for those living outside the city, referred to as an “outside differential,” is not a new practice. In fact, the city’s had an outside differential structure on sewer rates for the past 60 years. In order to find out if the policy is a needed one, the city has turned to the same company that performed the utility rate study that prompted the original rate change, Willdan Financial Services, based in Anaheim, Calif. The firm is tasked with analyzing the cost of providing water and sewer services to residents living outside city limits. It’s an extension of their original contract, costing an additional $15,000. Willdan will present its findings to City Council on Aug. 11. If any future rate changes are to be made, it will happen as a part of the 2016 budget process and wouldn’t go into effect until January. – Tracy Chamberlin

From Edgemont Ranch to Durango West, this small corner of Colorado can experience a wide variety of microclimates. Responding to those cues from Mother Nature makes for better efficiency, results and a better bottom line.

“There’s not just one pattern of installation here in La Plata County,” White said.

He added that his company has always supported and encouraged water conservancy and xeriscaping. “It’s just a wise thing to do,” he said.

Not everyone was inspired to conserve by their recent water bill. Some areas, like Durango West and Rafter J, have already imposed limits on water.

Julie Crumbaugh, a sales associate with Native Roots Garden Center, said they’ve had customers turn to xeriscaping because of such tight water restrictions.

“People in general know that they don’t need to use as much water,” said Kynan Kelly, co-owner of Scapegoat Landscaping and Tree Service.

Some people who move to Durango from other climates start off by asking for the common lawn cover, Kentucky bluegrass.

David Hart, co-owner of Gardenhart Landscape and Design, said sometimes they don’t know what else to ask for. “A lot of people in this area want to do the right thing,” he explained.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean they know what that is.

Since the new water rates went into effect in January, the biggest complaint the city’s heard isn’t about the bottom line on the bill. It’s about how to pay for it.

Along with the new rate structure, the city installed new software for online bill paying. Some glitches meant residents couldn’t pay on the city’s website, but Miles said everything’s up and running now.

After 15 years of drought and a growing population left fighting over a dwindling supply, communities across the West are turning to conservation.

Miles said one of the city council’s goals is sustainability. “Water conservation is a large piece of that,” she added.