CRconserve.com helps residents understand water conservation at home

Water conservation is something every resident needs to understand. It’s simple. It’s smart. Small, everyday decisions can add up to enormous water savings and allow our community to maintain its economic strength and quality of life.

Castle Rock is located in Colorado’s high-plains, semi-arid environment. The Town averages only 8 to 15 inches of precipitation a year. Because of this, every drop counts – whether it’s pumped fresh from a well and delivered to your home, or saved through reduced indoor and outdoor water use.

Helping residents learn tips and techniques of water conservation was a primary goal when Castle Rock Water created CRconserve.com, a website geared at helping residents maximize water conservation habits around their home.

Rick Schultz, water conservation specialist says, “A major component of the Town’s Water Conservation Master Plan is educational outreach. With the generous support of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, through this grant, this new website allows us another way to reach our customers. We can keep our residents updated with all the latest conservation tips, local xeric plants and upcoming classes.”

The Town received a nearly $32,000 water conservation grant from the Conservation Board to build a website that would include the following goals and objectives:

·         Educate the public on the importance of water conservation, Castle Rock's conservation programs and provide detailed information on water-saving products and practices.

·         Provide an interactive interface where the user has the ability to navigate the site and catalog information in a customized database based on individual interests. This database may be printed out and used to assist the user in the purchase of xeric plant materials.

·         Incorporate a technical design that enables the general website coding to be easily transferable to other communities or water providers.

Some features of CRconserve.com include personalized profile, customizable plant list, weather stations, watering calendar, conservation tips and events. Additionally, it links the user back to the Town’s flagship website, CRgov.com, for information on water billing, rebates, plans and regulations.

Learn more about Castle Rock Water – which provides water, long-term water, wastewater and stormwater services – at CRgov.com/water. Questions? Contact Water Conservation Specialist Rick Schultz, 720-733-6027 or .

Water used for outdoor landscaping accounts for the largest demand on the water system during the spring and summer. Castle Rock’s water supply is different from many Colorado communities’ supplies. The Town’s water supply is groundwater-based and is nonrenewable – meaning rain and snow runoff do not replenish Castle Rock’s water supply. Water conservation is critical to ensuring supply during peak summer demand and ensuring water resources for current and future residents.

All residents are required to follow an every-third-day watering schedule during the irrigation season. You may water on your designated day between 5 and 10 a.m. and 5 and 10 p.m.

Note: If you've completed a Water Wiser class and received "Water Wiser" designation, you are exempt from the watering schedule.