Pueblo West targets large outdoor irrigators in updated Water Efficiency Plan to defer capital costs

Pueblo West targets large outdoor irrigators in updated Water Efficiency Plan to defer capital costsHaving already achieved significant residential demand reductions, the Colorado district is pivoting its strategy to focus on high-volume outdoor users and supply-side efficiency to meet long-term supply goals.

The Board of Directors received an updated Water Efficiency Plan targeting a 10% overall reduction in water demand over the next 20 years.

Residential per capita water use has dropped from 110 gallons per day in 2018 to 88 gallons in 2025, prompting the district to shift focus away from broad residential programs.

New prioritized measures target large outdoor water users, non-residential irrigation, and non-revenue water reduction.

The district plans to spend $200,000 annually on leak detection and repair to address system losses, which accounted for 15.7% of raw water pumped in 2025.

Successful demand management could help the district defer or eliminate demand-dependent capital improvements, including a planned $30 million raw water storage reservoir.

The Pueblo West Metropolitan District Board of Directors received a draft update to its Water Efficiency Plan during its August 10, 2026, meeting, signaling a strategic shift in how the Colorado utility will manage future water demand and infrastructure planning. Having achieved a nearly 20% reduction in residential per capita water use over the past eight years—dropping from 110 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) in 2018 to 88 gpcd in 2025—the district is pivoting away from broad residential conservation mandates. Instead, the updated plan targets large outdoor water users, commercial irrigation, and system loss reduction to meet a new 10% overall demand reduction goal by 2045. According to the plan documents, outdoor water use remains the primary driver of peak seasonal demand. Residential summer water consumption is 2.8 times higher than winter use, while non-residential irrigation demand spikes by a factor of 41.1 during the summer months. To address this, prioritized conservation measures include mandatory monitoring for the district's top 50 water users, targeted outdoor water audits for large facilities, and enhanced irrigation meter data quality control. Supply-side efficiency is also a major component of the updated strategy. The district plans to invest $200,000 annually in a leak detection and repair program to address real losses, which accounted for approximately 15.7% of total raw water pumped in 2025. Additional prioritized measures include a $30,000 annual water meter testing and replacement program and pressure management initiatives within the distribution network. By curbing peak demand and reducing non-revenue water, Pueblo West hopes to defer or eliminate several demand-driven capital improvement projects. The district's current planning budget includes significant future expenditures, such as a $30 million raw water storage reservoir scheduled for financing between 2026 and 2032, and millions in phased distribution system expansions. The updated Water Efficiency Plan will undergo a public comment period before returning to the board for formal adoption.