Conservation and Rebates

About this Page

Water conservation is universally important – these tips apply to everyone everywhere, not just your district. Many districts include a conservation page with general best practices like this one, while others prefer to focus solely on district-specific programs and rebates.

This page is entirely optional. If you’d rather create custom conservation content specific to your district’s programs, watering schedules, or rebate offerings, we can replace this template with your own messaging. Or remove it entirely – whatever serves your goals best.

Every drop counts and every person can make a difference.

It’s amazing how much water you can save simply by being more mindful of your daily usage at home. Small changes add up to significant savings.

Water conservation doesn’t stop at your doorstep. It’s equally important to practice these habits even when you’re not the one paying the bill. whether you’re visiting a friend’s house or staying a hotel. By embracing conservation everywhere you go, you’re not just saving water for yourself, but ensuring a sustainable future for our community.

Following these tips may help you save hundreds – even thousands – of gallons of water every year.

Inside Your Home

  • Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load.
  • Replace appliances with energy-efficient models. Not only will you save water but you will conserve energy.
  • Install low flow water fixtures.
  • Turn off the water while you wash your face and brush your teeth.
  • When washing dishes by hand, fill the basin with soapy water, and only let a very small stream of water out of the faucet to rinse the dishes.
  • Keep a container of water in the refrigerator, so it will be cold and ready to drink.
  • Check for faucet leaks by setting a bowl or glass under the faucet overnight. Check to see if there is a significant amount of water in the bowl or glass in the morning. A leak of one drop per second may waste 2,700 gallons annually.

Outside Your Home

  • Take a break and let your grass grow! Longer grass encourages deeper rooting and better shade for the roots which allows for more water retention. Consider leaving your blades about three inches.
  • Keep an eye on your sprinkler system and adjust them as needed.
  • Landscape using Xeriscaping techniques.
  • Plant lower water use grasses such as fescue or other native grasses.
  • Install, monitor, and control your sprinkler system’s water use with rain sensors and SMART controllers.
  • Replace old sprinkler heads with water efficient ones.
  • Use a day of rain to replace a watering day.
  • Use rain barrels to supplement the water needs of plants.

Use water wisely.

Remember, water is a precious resource we need to live and cannot afford to waste. For more information about water conservation and tips, go to Colorado Waterwise website.

How This Page Meets WCAG 2.2/2.1 AA

  • Organized with Columns and Lists (WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships): conservation tips are organized into two columns, “Inside Your Home” and “Outside Your Home” using proper HTML list markup (<ul> and <li>). Screen readers announce “list with X items” for each column, helping users understand how many tips are in each category before reading through them.
  • Logical Reading Order (WCAG 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence): content flows naturally top-to-bottom, left-to-right on desktop, and stacks into a single column on mobile which ensures screen readers and keyboard users experience the content in a logical sequence regardless of device.
  • Descriptive Link Text (WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose): all links use clear, descriptive text that explains where they lead for example,”click here to go to Colorado Waterwise website” instead of vague “click here” or “learn more” text.
  • Decorative Images (WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content): photos on this page are marked as decorative (aria-hidden="true") because they don’t add essential information beyond what’s already in the text. Screen readers skip these images, keeping the experience focused on actionable conservation tips without redundant descriptions. Learn more about when images need alt text vs. when they should be decorative.
  • High-Contrast Page Headers (WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast Minimum): the page title “Conservation and Rebates” uses a solid color background overlay behind the text (not directly on the photo), ensuring the text maintains proper 4.5:1 contrast ratio and remains readable for users with low vision.
  • Responsive Layout (WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow): the two-column layout automatically adjusts to a single column on smaller screens—no horizontal scrolling required, making content accessible on any device size.