Free audits aim to help Broomfield residents be water-wise

Joni Bettge's sprinkler system sprayed fine water droplets onto her lawn, catching rainbows of light in morning sun.

Bettge, who lives in the McKay Landing neighborhood, has already done a lot to her home in order to make it energy- and water-efficient. On a cool Monday morning, she was tackling the efficiency of her outdoor sprinkler system. She was worried it was spraying too much water onto her sidewalk and not enough on her grass and tree-lined landscaping.

Bettge called in an expert from the Center for ReSource Conservation, or CRC, a nonprofit that works with cities, including Broomfield, to conduct outdoor water audits. The program provides the free audits to residents who want to reduce their usage when they water their lawns.

Tyler Kesler, a water programs manager at CRC, said water conservation is a big deal for residents who want to save money and resources, especially in years when Colorado experiences drought restrictions.

Outdoor irrigation accounts for about 50 percent of residential water use each year, and up to 25 percent of outdoor water use is wasted as runoff, according to CRC.

Broomfield in 2011 adopted a water use plan that encourages families to cut water usage by 10 percent, said Broomfield Environmental Services superintendent Kathy Schnoor.

The plan does not list specific gallon or volume reduction goals, but aims to reduce water usage by reusing water in Broomfield parks, reaching out to neighborhoods that use a large amount of water and doing outreach campaigns in public places, such as Broomfield Days, she said.

"Water is a valuable resource, and it's limited," Schnoor said. "We should use it as wisely as possible, not just because of conservation, but because it's the right thing to do."

Broomfield raised water rates in early 2013, when residents saw their first water rate increase since 2008. Average households saw a 7 percent increase in water rates, plus a $2 per month fee to fund the state's new water quality regulations set to go into effect in 2018.

The residential flat monthly water service charge went from $8.74 to $9.35 per dwelling unit, and the charge for water use per 1,000 gallons went from $2.80 to $3.

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Free audits aim to help Broomfield residents be water-wise