Conservation
Water Conservation
Water in Colorado is a precious and limited resource. Westminster has actively promoted water conservation and efficiency since the 1980s, and is committed to helping all customers make smart choices about their water use.
Every year, the City partners with Resource Central to provide three fantastic water resource programs for your yard that are free or very low cost to you. View details below:
Sign up for a Westy Water account to see hour-by-hour water use at your home, get automatic leak alerts, pay bills, and more.
Winter
- 2,000 - 6,000 gallons is considered normal use during winter.
- The Westminster single-family average water use is 4,000 gallons per month.
- This amount fluctuates based on number of people in household and age of appliances.
Summer
- 10,000 to 30,000 gallons is considered normal use during the summer.
- The Westminster single-family average water use is 16,000 gallons per month in peak summer months.
- This amount fluctuates based on outdoor water use.
Note: Monthly water use on your water bill is reported in kgal (thousand gallons)
Daily
Daily water use is measured in gallons (gal)
- 50 to 250 gallons per day is considered normal indoor water use.
- Typical usage comes from drinking water, toilet flushing, cooking, showers, laundry, and dishwashing.
- This number fluctuates based upon the number of people in a household and the age of appliances.
- 500 to 2,000 or more gallons per day is considered normal outdoor water use.
- Irrigation of landscaping fluctuates based upon size of yard and type of landscaping.
Hourly
- 0 to 50 gallons per hour is considered normal indoor water use.
- 100 - 300 or more gallons per hour is considered normal outdoor water use.
Understand how much water your household likely uses with this Home Water Use Calculator.
View this snapshot of which appliances use the most water indoors.
Find indoor water-saving tips.
The City provides up to two free, high-efficiency toilets and free indoor water-use inspections to income-qualified homeowners. Homeowners qualifying for the Bill Credit Program automatically qualify for this program. Learn more and apply.
The City also partners with Mile High Youth Corps, Maiker Housing Partners, and Foothills Regional Housing to install high-efficiency fixtures in income-qualified, multi-family housing properties.
Sign up for a Westy Water account to see hour-by-hour water use at your home, get automatic leak alerts, pay bills, and more.
Find outdoor water-saving tips.
Irrigation timing: With this schedule, learn the recommended length of time for running your irrigation system during the summer
- Cycle and Soak: Divide watering times into three short cycles to reduce runoff and grow a strong, healthy lawn.
- Water Twice A Week: It's enough to keep your lawn green most of the time, and for scorching summer weeks it's okay to add a third day.
- Irrigation Maintenance: Understand how to maintain your irrigation system.
Rain Barrels: Use rain barrels to collect precipitation and reuse it outdoors. Using rain barrels can help minimize the amount of treated drinking water needed to maintain lawns and gardens and reduce runoff pollution entering our local waterways.
HOA Rules: If you live in an HOA, your association cannot require you to have a turf grass lawn at your home - that's been a state law since 2013! You still may have to make sure your landscape looks nice, but it can be fully xeriscaped. Look for ideas on how to make over your yard with our Lawn Replacement and Garden in a Box discounts.
Large landscape irrigation audits are available to HOAs and commercial properties through a City cost-share program. Contact water conservation to learn more. ConservationHeadline Version OptionsConservationHead
Conservation efforts by Westminster residents have kept water rates low. This peer-reviewed study documents how water rates would have been nearly double today's rates (an extra $600 per year) without conservation efforts: Conservation Efforts Limit Rate Increases For Colorado Utility.
In this short video, learn about what water and sewer rates pay for and why they sometimes increase even when residents conserve.
New development in Westminster pays its fair share to connect into the $4 billion water and sewer infrastructure system. New development is subject to water-conserving requirements, which include:
- Landscape Regulations
- Water / Sewer Tap Fees