MONUMENT • With limited water resources, the Town of Monument looks to encourage water conservation among residents while the area is experiencing high temperatures in its semi-arid climate and increased water demand.

As the town invests $22 million in improvements to the infrastructure of its water system, an increase in water production and additional storage is in the near future. However, to maintain healthy landscapes around the community, the town is encouraging responsible water practices, implementing water restrictions and has offered tips to efficient water use.

For properties using the Town of Monument water system, even-numbered addresses are allowed to irrigate Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to reduce evaporation. Odd-numbered addresses are allowed to irrigate Monday, Wednesday and Friday, during the same regulated times. There is no watering on Sundays.

Town staff suggested Homeowner Association common areas irrigate on Wednesdays only.

Among the town’s tips for efficiency and conservation are to not let water pool on hard surfaces or flow down curb gutters, to repair leaks in sprinkler systems within 10 days, and to use a shut-off nozzle when washing anything with a hose.

It is also suggested that hard surfaces like driveways, sidewalks and patios should be cleaned with water only if there is a public health or safety concern.

Properties within the service of Triview Metropolitan District are also under restrictions from May 1 through Sept. 30 every year. The regulated watering days for odd and even numbered addresses are the same as for the Town of Monument. However, water times are between 9 a.m. and midnight, and midnight to 6 p.m. on the allowed respective day of the week.

In addition, hand watering of new plants is allowed on any single day. However, portable irrigation devices are not considered hand watering and fall under the same regulated watering days.

Properties which use the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District are restricted from June 1 to Sept. 30, with even-numbered addresses watering Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. Odd-numbered addresses are allowed to water Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. There is no watering allowed on Mondays.

The district’s mandatory water-use program involves a rebate program with offers anywhere from $10 to $100 to property owners for installing a variety of qualifying upgrades to high-water-use appliances and efficiency enhancers to their irrigation systems since Jan. 1, 2018. More information and applications for the rebate program are available at woodmoorwater.com.

On May 31, the Town of Monument released an informational video, “Conserving water using rain barrels,” on its YouTube channel, informing residents of their rights to conserve rainwater with rain barrels and how to do it. A few years ago, the State of Colorado legislature passed House Bill 16-1005 which allows single-family residences to collect rainwater in two barrels maximum, each up to 110 gallons, to be used solely for outdoor use and not consumption or indoor use. It also mandates the top of the barrels must be sealed to prevent pests from getting in.

The bill was geared toward helping homeowners offset the use of their irrigation systems for their landscaping.

Residents of the Town of Monument, who use of the town’s water system, are offered a $50 rebate if receipts for the rain barrel purchases are provided and their account with the Monument Water Department is current. The rebate is given in the form of a credit toward the account.

Tips for installing the rain barrels are available on the Town of Monument’s YouTube channel, or by visiting the town’s website, tomgov.org, clicking on the “Community” tab and visiting the Garden & Landscaping page.

The Triview Metropolitan District is presently making a transition from making use of the non-renewable groundwater from the Denver Basin to renewable surface water. Last year, the district acquired 568-acre feet of water rights and purchased another 1,000-acre feet of water storage in April. Triview acquired nearly 850 acres of land to be used for the development of two large reservoirs which are near completion.