The Eagle River Water & Sanitation District (District) Board of Directors passed a resolution declaring a Water Shortage. This declaration enacts Stage III water restrictions under the District’s Water Shortage Response Plan following worsening drought conditions and historically low snowpack across Eagle County and the state. The District is asking the community to conserve water this summer and has enacted fines for customers using excessive amounts of water (Tier 4 and Tier 5).
The District monitors several indicators to assess the potential for a water shortage, including drought severity, snow water equivalent (SWE) which measures the amount of water stored in the snowpack, peak and low streamflows, and reservoir levels.
The decision to declare a Water Shortage and move directly into Stage III was based on worsening drought conditions and historically low snowpack across Eagle County and the state. As of April 1, snowpack measured just 3.9 inches, which is among the lowest on record and only about one-fourth of the minimum target level the District typically relies on for summer water supply.
“What we are experiencing right now is unprecedented, the impacts reach across our valley,” said Siri Roman, General Manager and CEO of the District. “It affects everything – our rivers, our recreation, businesses, tourism, and our way of life. It’s a powerful reminder that water connects us all and protecting it starts with each of us.”
Effective immediately, the District is implementing a new two-day-per-week outdoor watering schedule. Customers may water outdoors on two designated days based on the number of their street address, and watering is only allowed between midnight and 8 a.m. or 8 p.m. and midnight on those days. Customers are being asked to delay turning on sprinkler systems as long as possible despite the warm, dry weather, and to wait until June.
Stage III restrictions primarily affect customers with the highest levels of water use. Tier 4 and 5 customers only make up 14% of residential customers but use 45% of all residential water. Customers using water in Tier 4 will see a 15% surcharge on water used in that Tier. Customers reaching Tier 5 will pay a flat fine of $400 and an additional escalating surcharge on Tier 5 water use, meaning each additional gallon will cost more than the previous gallon.
Most community members use water responsibly; the typical residential customer uses less than 4,000 gallons a month. Surcharges target those who use an excessive or unsustainable amount of water. For instance, residential customers who use 30,000 gallons, 60,000 gallons, or even 100,000 gallons a month will see significant surcharges. To put those numbers in perspective, 100,000 gallons is 25 times the water use of the typical residential customer.
“These surcharges are not about generating revenue,” Roman said. “They are about protecting our community’s water supply during an exceptionally dry season. Every gallon we conserve, especially outdoors, is one we don’t have to draw from our reservoirs and can leave flowing in in our rivers and streams. We want the water, not the fines.”
Top five recommended conservation actions include:
Water only on your designated days and during permitted hours.
Aim to be in water use Tiers 1 or 2.
Let your lawn go dormant.
Reduce sprinkler run times and eliminate sprinkler overspray and runoff.
Monitor your daily water use through the MyWater customer portal and check your property (including faucets, showerheads, and toilets) for leaks.
