Release Date: May 24, 2002
Contacts: 

Mike Bartleson, Deputy Director of Broomfield’s Public Works Department, advised residents this week that the city is closely monitoring, on a daily basis, the drought and its affect on the city’s available water supplies. Broomfield receives its water from two sources, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and from the Denver Water Department.

Under the contract with Denver, Broomfield must comply with any mandatory water conservation program that Denver undertakes. Currently, Denver has initiated a voluntary water conservation program designed to reduce overall water use by 10 percent. Likewise, Broomfield is also asking its water customers to voluntarily reduce their water use by 10 percent.

Bartleson suggests, "One effective way to do this is to limit outside watering to no more than 1 inch per week using any 2 or 3 watering days in a week." The best times to water are in the morning or evening which avoids the hotter hours of the day, he said.

Broomfield’s Public Works Department is targeting a 15 percent water reduction on its parks, street medians, and other irrigated areas. Residents may notice that, this summer, these areas may look drier than in other years, but the dryness will not diminish their usability or long-term sustainability because Broomfield uses drought-tolerant landscaping materials.

Residents can also assist the department in achieving its 15 percent goal by notifying the city if they see broken or mis-aligned sprinkler heads. Call 303.438.6334 during business hours, or 303.438.6400 after hours and on weekends.