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Westwater presents 2026 water‑efficiency plan: AMI rollout, 29 acre‑feet savings target and non‑potable conversions
Summary
Westwater Research presented Severance’s 2026 Water Efficiency Plan, recommending a ~29 acre‑foot annual savings target (10% of a modeled 286‑acre‑foot gap), AMI metering, targeted outdoor measures and a goal to keep non‑revenue water below 5% by 2035. The plan links compliance to state grant and loan eligibility.
Kelsey Duziak of Westwater Research told the Severance Town Council on Jan. 13 that the town’s 2026 Water Efficiency Plan is state‑mandated and needed to restore eligibility for certain state grants and low‑interest loans. The plan was developed alongside the water‑supply master plan and uses 2019–2024 demand data to derive targets through 2035.
Westwater estimated Severance’s water service area served about 7,500 people in 2024 and noted the town receives 100% of its potable supply from North Weld County Water District (supplies derived from the Colorado–Big Thompson project and Horsetooth Reservoir). Duziak said dual potable/non‑potable systems installed since about 2017 substantially reduced outdoor potable use and lowered per‑capita potable demand; she reported per‑capita use fell to about 92 gallons per person per day in 2024 from a 2017 baseline of 138 gpcd.
The plan sets a quantitative target: achieve roughly a 10% reduction of a 286 acre‑foot modeled supply gap (about 29 acre‑feet per year) through targeted activities, and reduce non‑revenue water to below 5% by 2035. Westwater emphasized three priorities for achieving those savings: (1) the AMI advanced metering infrastructure rollout (remote reads, an online customer portal and near real‑time data for customers); (2) focused outdoor irrigation measures such as a 'garden‑in‑a‑box' turf replacement program; and (3) targeted conversions where feasible, notably switching Rangeview Elementary School’s irrigation from potable to non‑potable supply if a viable source and funding arrangement can be identified.
Duziak said most indoor savings have already been realized because of WaterSense appliance requirements in new construction (2016 onward) and that the greatest remaining opportunities are in outdoor irrigation, targeted commercial upgrades and reducing non‑revenue water via AMI‑driven leak detection and periodic system audits. She recommended a monitoring plan that integrates water metrics into departmental planning cycles and noted the town should publish the draft plan for a 60‑day public review and seek a preliminary Division of Water Resources compliance review before final adoption.
Council members asked practical questions about AMI rollout, whether the online portal would be available to all customers, and the cost/feasibility of converting existing single‑system neighborhoods or school irrigation to non‑potable supply. Staff said the AMI system is currently about 75% deployed and that the town must replace roughly 500 older meters before full portal functionality is possible; staff will test live reads for several months before enabling customer access.
