HOAs and Reclaimed Water
Reclaimed or recycled water is wastewater that has been treated to a level that, while not safe to drink, is well suited for agricultural, industrial, and irrigation purposes. HOAs often spend a good portion of their budgets on irrigation for common areas, and using reclaimed water is a great way for them to reduce their water budget and help the environment.
The key to bringing in reclaimed water is infrastructure. Many metro area municipalities have a reclaimed water program in which a portion of the collected wastewater is used to irrigate public land after being treated to satisfy the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Regulation 84 . The City of Denver currently irrigates several parks, golf courses, and the Denver Zoo with reclaimed water.
The City of Westminster has led the charge in the metro area by expanding its system beyond just public land to include HOA common areas. Full buildout of the system in Westminister will serve 3,490 homes annually, and the current system serves well over half that many. HOAs in Westminister that are tapped into the system enjoy 20% lower irrigation water costs than those that are not.
CAP Management partnered with the City of Westminster last year to bring reclaimed water to the Cedar Bridge association. Their volume usage was sufficient for the city to pay the entire cost of extending pipes from the reclaimed water main line into the HOA as well as irrigation system improvements on the property itself. In addition, representatives from the city came to a board meeting and gave a presentation to clearly outline the environmental and financial benefits of irrigating with reclaimed water. From the moment the system was connected, Cedar Bridge’s water bill dropped immediately. You can visit the City of Westminster reclaimed water site for more information about the benefits of reclaimed water and how it is treated. AThirstyPlanet.com has additional information that addresses any concerns about the safety of reclaimed water.
contact Justin@capmanagement.com if your HOA is interested in irrigating with reclaimed water