MEMORANDUM

TO:

Mayor and City Council

FROM:

Lee Ledesma, Utilities Finance & Administrative Manager

THRU:

David Hornbacher, Director of Utilities
Scott Miller, Public Works Director

DATE OF MEMO: February 9, 2018
MEETING DATE: February 13, 2018
RE:

Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance -Pilot Program Update

REQUEST OF COUNCIL: Staff requests review of, and feedback on, the Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance pilot program. This includes a discussion on a water efficient landscaper
certification training program, the use of rain barrels for irrigation, an update on use of graywater
in the state of Colorado, and possible changes to City’s current Water Efficient Landscaping
Standards.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: On May 22, 2017, Council approved at Public Hearing
Ordinance 16, Series 2017 to adopt the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. Prior to the
Public Hearing, the First Reading of the Landscape Ordinance was held on May 8, 2017, which
followed an initial worksession held on April 18, 2017.
Additionally, on September 28, 2015 City Council adopted the Roaring Fork Watershed
Regional Water Efficiency Plan and the City of Aspen Municipal Water Efficiency Plan. In both
those plans, Aspen identified landscape regulations as an important next step for water
efficiency.
BACKGROUND:
Conservation is an important component of Aspen’s Integrated Water
Supply System and effective conservation practices enable the City to manage our water supplies
more efficiently. The City of Aspen has been promoting water efficiency since the mid-1990s.
The City approved its first water conservation plan in 1996. Aspen’s water utility currently has
limited storage and the water supply is most vulnerable from the late summer into fall when
vegetation is thirsty and resulting landscape irrigation demands are still high while stream flow
from melted snow pack is diminishing. This water conservation/efficiency program is focused
on efficient outside water use, which helps mitigate this vulnerability.
Promoting water conservation, preventing water waste, and protecting water quality have been
identified as important goals for the Aspen Utility and Community. These standards promote
efficient development and use of water within the City of Aspen’s water service area while

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 considering the benefits of a healthy landscape. Managing outdoor landscaping demands
through land use regulations for new development is being considered throughout Colorado and
Aspen’s current Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance is an important model for the West Slope
with an opportunity to reduce some of the impact from future demands.
DISCUSSION:
Overview: The water efficient landscaping standards and ordinance address landscaping
material and irrigation design and practices. A minimum 12-month pilot phase is currently in
affect since June 22, 2017. During the pilot phase, requirements as set out in the Water Efficient
Landscaping Standards are not waived. This includes: site plan; landscape plan; irrigation plan;
and, a completed water budget analysis. What is not being required during the pilot phase is
meeting the water budget of 7.5 gallons per square foot per irrigation season or complying with
identified issues that may arise during a third party post-installation site audit. Neither of these
two items will hold up an owner’s Certificate of Occupancy during the active pilot phase. The
pilot phase is designed to assist staff in making final recommendations to Council at the end of
the program on a maximum applied water budget. The pilot program will also advise staff on
how processes and standards may need to be adjusted prior to full implementation of the Water
Efficient Landscape Standards.
Status of Pilot Implementation:
17 building permit applications have triggered compliance to the new Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance since it became effective on June 22, 2017. Out of those 17, 3 have been outside City
limits and are part of the City’s pre-approval process that occurs prior to owner submitting a
County building permit application. As a result of these 17 submittals that are in different stages
of their review process, staff are beginning to identify possible modifications to the landscaping
standards based on feedback from owners and landscape professionals.
Third Party Audits:
The standards require an irrigation audit report performed by a third party certified landscape
irrigation auditor. Currently, the closest certified auditors are in Grand Junction and Golden.
Staff seeks direction from council on developing a local certification program. The Qualified
Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) certification program has been recently researched and is
being implemented by other Colorado water providers with landscape ordinances already in
place. See Exhibit D. Initial discussions have taken place between city staff and Roaring Fork
Conservancy regarding a partnership to provide this training in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Next Steps:
Staff is looking for direction on topics to be covered and addressed during this worksession.
They include:
• Length of Pilot Program
• Local Certification Program including potential partnership with the Roaring Fork
Conservancy
• Possible modifications to the Water Efficient Landscaping Standards

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 FINANCIAL IMPACTS: A locally offered Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL)
certification training program is anticipated to have an associated initial cost on the order of
$20,000, with ongoing operational costs that depend upon the number of training sessions
offered per year. This cost includes: a one-time onboarding fee to QWEL; a partnership with
Roaring Fork Conservancy for preparation of local training content and event coordination,
advertising and public outreach; and, the cost of training materials, the trainer, the exam grading,
etc. It is the City’s goal to approach the other municipal water providers that are part of the
Roaring Fork Regional Water Efficiency Plan to participate in the program with advertising and
funding. Additionally, current staff time to manage the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
includes approximately ¾ FTE in the Parks department and a ½ FTE in the Water department.
The plan review and permit coordinator processes involved in managing this ordinance is for
both City and County parcels that receive City of Aspen water. Currently, the above-mentioned
expenses are covered by an existing Utilities Development Review fee, which has not increased
since January 2017 for our city and county water customers.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: If a maximum water budget of 7.5 gallons/sq.ft./season is
utilized after the end of the pilot phase, the Landscape Ordinance is estimated to reduce irrigation
water demand by 14 % as compared to new plan submittals sampled prior to implementation.
And, when compared to typical existing homes, there is a potential landscape water use savings
of up to 60% when these properties refresh their landscaping and irrigation systems. Using a
water budget of 7.5 gallons/sq. ft./irrigation season (14% savings) would put the City on target to
achieve the 2015 Water Efficiency Plan projection of 50 acre-feet per year of water savings by
2035.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends Council provide direction on length of pilot
program, a local irrigation landscape certification program, and possible changes to the existing
Water Efficient Landscaping Standards.
ALTERNATIVES: City Council could choose to not address these proposed programs and
modifications at this time and request an additional update on the pilot program at some future
date.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:

ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A – Water Efficient Landscaping Standards
Exhibit B – Element Water Consulting Memo – Preliminary Analysis of Potential Landscape
Water Supply from Residential Rainwater Catchment in Aspen
Exhibit C – Element Water Consulting Memo – Colorado Graywater Control Regulation #86;
Utility Participation Summary
Exhibit D – Element Water Consulting Memo – QWEL Program Information
Exhibit E – Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Submission Data

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