Vail-area water district declares water shortage, approves new restrictions
John LaConte/Vail Daily
With drought conditions worsening due to historically low snowpack across Eagle County, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors passed a resolution declaring a water shortage on Wednesday.
The declaration enacts Stage III water restrictions under the district’s water shortage response plan, affecting customers with the highest levels of water use.
The typical residential customer uses less than 4,000 gallons a month, putting them in a lower tier of use. Tiers are determined based on the size of the home and the amount of water use.
Tier 4 and 5 customers only make up 14% of residential customers but use 45% of all residential water. Customers using water in Tier 4 will see a 15% surcharge on water used in that tier, under the water shortage response plan. Customers reaching Tier 5 will pay a flat fine of $400 and an additional escalating surcharge on Tier 5 water use, meaning each additional gallon will cost more than the previous gallon.
“These surcharges are not about generating revenue,” said Siri Roman, General Manager and CEO of the District. “They are about protecting our community’s water supply during an exceptionally dry season. Every gallon we conserve, especially outdoors, is one we don’t have to draw from our reservoirs and can leave flowing in our rivers and streams. We want the water, not the fines.”
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The district is also implementing a new two-day-per-week outdoor watering schedule, according to the plan. Customers may water outdoors on two designated days based on the number of their street address, and watering is only allowed between midnight and 8 a.m. or 8 p.m. and midnight on those days. Customers are being asked to delay turning on sprinkler systems as long as possible despite the warm, dry weather, and to wait until June.
“We all need to reset expectations for what landscapes may look like this year,” said Tim Friday, Director of Water & Utility Resources for the District. “This year’s snowpack shortfall is putting immense pressure on our rivers, making water conservation one of the most important actions our community can take.”
For more information about the District’s Water Shortage Response Plan and conservation tips, visit the District’s website.
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