Situated at the base of the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a vibrant city with iconic mountain views, year-round tourism and a thriving economy – landing it fifth on US News & World Report’s recent list of best places to live. For the more than 450,000 people who live there, the lifeblood of the community is the city’s water supply. However, strains on local water resources, unpredictable weather patterns and uncertainty related to growth and climate change are threatening Colorado Springs’ water supply and the local ecosystem and economy that depend on it.
To ensure current and future generations can enjoy all that Colorado Springs has to offer, the city’s water steward, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), is working to identify and address the uncertainty that affects its water supply, both in the short and long term. To help residents and businesses use water as efficiently as possible, CSU is investing in conservation programs and encouraging customers to conserve through water rates that rise when customers use more and are less efficient. CSU is also applying robust analysis to make sure it’s using the best information to make the best decisions. Instead of just reviewing historical averages, CSU is looking at numerous possible outcomes, and thinking broadly about what might happen in the future.
As Colorado Springs Utilities Water Services Division General Manager Wayne Vanderschuere explained, supporting a growing community sustainably requires creativity and care. “Colorado Springs Utilities must carefully balance customer rate increases with the need to maintain our aging infrastructure and continue to provide high-quality water and service,” he said. For CSU, this means finding innovative ways to preserve water and the utility’s well-being, while communicating with its customers about rates, sustainable water use and the water supply itself. Partnering with Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) and applying AWE’s new resources such as its “Building Better Water Rates for an Uncertain Future” Handbook and Rates Messaging Plan has been an ongoing part of CSU’s success.
CSU and AWE’s innovative partnership is driven by the shared recognition that using and losing less water now means there will be more for people and the environment in the future. And this partnership is just one of many for AWE. With support from the Walton Family Foundation, AWE helps utilities across Colorado and beyond stay ahead of the curve by exploring, sharing and implementing new strategies for using water sustainably while protecting their bottom line.
Across the Colorado River Basin, AWE brings together utilities’ financial leaders to share best practices so other cities can learn from the success of utilities like CSU, that are helping maintain thriving communities.
Megan Chery is Alliance for Water Efficiency’s manager of Development and Special Projects. To learn more about AWE’s work on efficiency, water rates and revenue visit www.FinancingSustainableWater.org. Photos courtesy of AWE and CSU.
