MUNICIPAL & DOMESTIC USE
The most precious resource in Western Colorado can be summoned with an easy turn of your tap. The treated water used in our homes comes from the Colorado River or its tributaries. Some of it is supplied from high elevation reservoirs, and some comes directly from the Colorado River. All of it originates from melting snow or rainfall that flows into the Colorado River.
Though domestic use accounts for less than 2 percent of the water used on the Western Slope, conserving water at home can have great impacts as we adapt to living in a hotter, drier reality.
To give some perspective, one hundred years ago, the average person used only about 5 gallons of water per day. With the availability of treated water today, people use 40 to 70 gallons of treated water daily despite average river flows diminishing each year.
RELATED RIVER DISTRICT POLICIES:
The Colorado River District`s primary objective with respect to water quality is to protect the ability of the district’s residents to use water beneficially now and in the future.
The Colorado River District supports federal and state appropriations and programs that support and encourage investment in capital maintenance, including extraordinary maintenance, to address and maintain – and upgrade where possible – the full function and benefit of Colorado’s aging water infrastructure.