Alamosa Reports Residential Water Use Under 100 Gallons Per Person; Parks Irrigation Use Down

City of Alamosa staff presented annual water-usage data and conservation work at the council meeting, reporting that residential per-capita daily use has fallen below 100 gallons and highlighting parks irrigation upgrades and public outreach efforts.

Staff said the residential per-capita-per-day target set in the city’s 2020 water efficiency plan has been reached. Staff also reported that rate increases remain an effective tool in reducing commercial consumption and that, while precipitation varies year to year, rainfall differences are not strongly correlated with water use patterns in recent years.

Parks and recreation staff described a recent irrigation overhaul at the municipal golf course that reduced annual usage from about 110 acre-feet to roughly 70 acre-feet; a consultant’s study cited system efficiency of about 94% compared with a previous efficiency near 70–75%.

Staff reviewed outreach and program work: the city has held “water week” events with tours, water trivia and presentations; painted stormwater drain murals; partnered with the Sonoran Institute on stormwater guidance and technical assistance; and is pursuing incentive programs for conservation. Staff also said they will use technical assistance to design water-conservation incentives and will gather community input during water-week events.

Councilors and staff noted that the city will update the water-efficiency elements during the broader comprehensive-plan update and urged continued public education on irrigation schedules; staff said odd/even watering days are no longer voluntary and that enforcement relies primarily on public cooperation and complaint-based follow-up.

Clarifying details: staff reported residential per-capita use below 100 gallons per person per day; golf-course usage dropped from about 110 to 70 acre-feet after irrigation upgrades; the parks study reported ~94% efficiency post-upgrade compared with 70–75% previously.