Efficient Water Use
Do More With Less Water
Northern Water views water efficiency as an integral part of its management strategy with long-range planning that encourages people to be good stewards of water resources. The supplemental water that we provide through the Colorado-Big Thompson and Windy Gap projects is diverted from the Colorado River. With known pressures on this river system, it is critically important that we make the best use of this resource and support regional water resilience by promoting water efficient and drought tolerant landscapes.
As the growth in Northern Colorado continues, we realize we must be smart about how we use water. Water shortages can occur anywhere, and many factors play into how much water people use daily, including where they live and their lifestyle.
Built on input from and designed in response to input from our allottees and stakeholders, our Water Efficiency Program provides regional water efficiency services to allottees in order to maximize the value and use of the water we deliver, while doing so in a cost-effective, collaborative and demonstrative manner.

Our program is designed to provide information and education to the public, green industry professionals, municipalities and Northern Water allottees. Our services are complimentary and while we do support all allottees, we target those who have no conservation program, staff or budget to assist in their efforts to become more efficient with their water use. We focus on providing support to the commercial water industry by supporting large-scale landscapes, including homeowners' associations, parks, cities, businesses and more. However, we also support residential customers in their landscape and irrigation needs.
We want to ensure we do more with less water and can secure this resource for existing and future generations.
Water Efficiency Program Fact SheetSustainable Residential Landscape Templates
Open House & Template Release
Dec. 11, 2023, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Louisville Recreation and Senior Center, 900 Via Appia Way
Join us for the release of the Sustainable Landscape Templates specifically designed to provide Marshall Fire survivors with user-friendly landscape templates designed to make the process of rebuilding less expensive and less time consuming. The Open House will include an opportunity to learn more about the templates, hear a short presentation and ask questions. The presentation will be available virtually and will be recorded. Please email Lindsay Nerad for the link.
Northern Water is working in partnership with Norris Design to create six scalable landscape design templates for the diverse neighborhoods affected by the Marshall Fire. These templates will be available for free to homeowners in the fire recovery area and will be released at the Open House on Dec. 11. The new templates are modeled after similar successful efforts in the West with an advisory committee established to lead the project. The templates will accommodate corner, middle, cul-de-sac and large lots for maximum adoptability. The templates and a resource package that will include full landscape plans, irrigation plans, plant guides, low flammability plant recommendations, cost opinions and more.
The December 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed 1,084 homes in Louisville, Superior and Boulder County.
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Water Efficiency Program Areas
Northern Water Wins EPA WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award
Northern Water was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for its work promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2022. For the past three years Northern Water was recognized as a Promotional Partner of the Year. Northern Water was one of 13 Sustained Excellence Award winners. In the past year, Northern Water conducted water conservation activities throughout the year, such as its Collaborative Water-Efficient Landscape Grant Program and its award-winning Conservation Gardens at Northern Water.
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