The Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority are committed to water conservation and efficiency. We work to achieve this through information and outreach, tiered water rate structures, water use regulations, and minimizing inefficiencies in the public water system. In 2018, the district and authority released the Eagle River Regional Water Efficiency Plan which outlines actions organizations can take to meet increasing regional water demands with available supply into the future in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.
95 percent used indoors is returned to local waterways by way of a wastewater treatment facility. Water used in your home – for cooking, dish washing, bathing, flushing, and laundry – goes down a drain to the wastewater collection system and flows to a treatment facility. The water is cleaned, disinfected, and returned to local water sources within the same watershed from which it was removed. While most of the water used indoors returns to rivers and streams, it is still important to use only what you need.
Water used outdoors is generally twice that of what is used indoors and only about 15 to 40 percent of that water makes its way back to local waterways, none of it through a wastewater plant. Most of the water is consumed by plant needs or evaporation. Water leftover percolates through the ground and may eventually make its way to a local stream. The large amount used for landscaping purposes combined with the small percent that returns to streams makes conservative use and water efficiency particularly important for outdoor water use.
The Water Use Regulations and rate structure are designed to make efficient use of water resources and to prevent waste and overuse. The regulations govern how water is used and are part of the district’s general rules and regulations. The rate structure addresses both fixed and variable costs. The price for varying monthly water use increases as usage increases, higher cost for high use promotes water conservation.
The district actively seeks to prevent water loss in the public water system, whether due to theft, system inefficiencies, line breaks or otherwise. Proactive actions anchor the district approach to water conservation, whether at the utility or customer level.
For more information regarding available conservation resources, contact Customer Service at 970-476-7480.
