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| Q |
What is the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’? |
| A |
The ‘Residential
Water Use Calculator’ is an online application designed to assist Aurora
citizens in better understanding their water use and making informed decisions
when looking for ways to reduce their water consumption.
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| Q |
Why should I complete the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator? |
| A |
Everyone uses
water, but understanding exactly how much water they use and where they use it
is not always easy. After completing the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’ you
will have a better understanding of how you are consuming water in your daily
activities. The calculator will also provide you with a prioritized list to
guide your conservation efforts.
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| Q |
Who should complete the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’? |
| A |
The ‘Residential
Water Use Calculator’ is intended for homeowners, landlords or tenants in single
family homes, or housing with 4 or less units per water meter. Different rates
apply to commercial properties or properties with more than 4 units per water
meter. We also offer a Water Use Calculator for Homeowner’s Associations and
commercial property owners that are interested in looking at their water usage
and work toward reducing their water consumption. For more information contact
the Water Conservation Division at (303) 739-7195.
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| Q |
How long will it take me to complete the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’? |
| A |
The number of
fixtures in your home and the number of irrigation zones you have on your lot
will determine the amount of time it will take to complete the calculator. Your
knowledge of your fixtures and zones will also affect the amount of time it will
take. We recommend that you review the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’,
gather the information required, then sit down and enter the data into the
calculator. We estimate that it should take between 30 minutes and 2 hours to
complete.
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| Q |
What if I don’t have time to complete the calculator in one session? |
| A |
That’s ok. We
expect that most people will not complete the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’
in one sitting. There is a lot of information to gather and work through, so the
‘Residential Water Use Calculator’ has a ‘Save Progress’ button located at the
top of the calculator. After entering your email address, a message will be sent
to your email inbox. When you are ready to continue, click the link contained
in this message to return to the calculator and pick up where you left off.
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| Q |
How can I
return to my saved profile if I lose the email with my return link? |
| A |
If you have lost
the message containing your return link, you can enter your email address below
and any profiles you have saved using that email address will be re-emailed to
you. If you never saved your profile, you will need to complete the
‘Residential Water Use Calculator’ again.
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| Q |
Will the ‘Residential Water Calculator’ adjust each year when water rates and rebates change? |
| A |
Yes. As water
rates and rebates change, we will update the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’.
As long as you save the email message containing the link to your saved profile,
you can return to the calculator and the updates we've made will adjust your
results. If you have made any changes to your fixtures or irrigation since your
last visit to the calculator, you will need to update your profile to produce
accurate results.
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| Q |
What is the future of the Residential Water Use Calculator? |
| A |
Our goal is to
use the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator' as a tool to direct people towards
the most effective water conservation steps possible. Citizens will be asked to
complete this calculator before applying for any rebates. We can then work with
individual customers to tailor a specific conservation plan.
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| Q |
What information will I need to complete the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’? |
| A |
You will need to know the following:
- The year your home was constructed.
- The gallons per flush of your toilet(s), the gallons per minute of your
shower(s) and faucet(s), and their model years. If you do not know the model
year, it is assumed to be the year your house was built.
- The gallons per load of your washing machine and dishwasher, as well as their
model years. If you do not know the model year, it is assumed to be the year
your house was built.
- The gallons per use of your water fixtures, as well as their model years. If
you do not know the model year or the flow rate, it will be determined based on
the fixture model year or the year your house was built.
- The square footage of each irrigation zone, as well as the precipitation rate or
the number and type of heads in each zone.
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| Q |
What is the difference between a full bath and a half bath? |
| A |
A full bath has a
shower and/or bathtub, a sink and a toilet. A half bath does not have a shower
or bathtub.
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| Q |
What do you mean by primary, secondary, third, fourth for each fixture? |
| A |
Primary,
Secondary, third and fourth refers to how much each fixture is used on a daily
basis. For example, the ‘primary toilet’ is the toilet that is used the most in
your home. If you have one toilet it will be the primary toilet.
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| Q |
What if I
don’t know my use per day information? For example, the number of toilet
flushes per day. |
| A |
The Aurora Water Conservation Division staff has done extensive research on national averages. These national averages will be used if nothing is entered into the boxes.
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| Q |
How do I find the year and gallons per flush information for my toilet? |
| A |
The year the
toilet was built is typically stamped on the inside of the toilet tank. This
stamp can be located on the sides or underneath the lid. If the gallons per
flush information is not inside of the toilet tank, it may be on the toilet bowl
behind the seat.
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| Q |
What if I
don’t know how many gallons my fixtures output per use? |
| A |
Researched
values, based on the construction year of your house or the fixture model year,
will be used instead. Your results will be more accurate if you know your
fixtures’ numbers.
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| Q |
What are the national averages? |
| A |
| Toilet |
5.1 flushes per day per person |
| Shower |
5.3 minutes per person per day |
| Bathroom Faucets |
4.86 minutes per person per day |
| Additional Faucets |
3.24 minutes per person per day |
| Washing Machine |
2.86 loads per week per person |
| Dishwasher |
2.35 loads per week per person |
| Irrigation Water |
This varies according to geographical region. In Aurora, approximately 42% of our water is applied to our landscapes. |
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| Q |
Why won’t
the ‘Residential Water Use Calculator’ allow me to fill in watering information
if I don't have an automatic irrigation system? |
| A |
The ‘Residential
Water Use Calculator’ assumes that if there is an irrigation system, the system
is on a clock and watering on a regular schedule. Often if people water their
yards with a hose or sprinkler, they do not follow a set schedule and
calculating water use can be difficult. However, if you are interested in
figuring out your outdoor water use, estimate your average watering time per day
and fill in the irrigation tabs. The results may not be exact, but they will be
a good estimate. You can determine how much water you apply to your property
with the help of a Water Smart Reader. Contact the Aurora Water Conservation
office at 303-739-7351 for more information.
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| Q |
What is a Zone? How do I know what a zone is in my yard? |
| A |
A zone is an area
of your property irrigated at the same time with identical irrigation
components. If you have an irrigation clock on a residential system, you can
have up to 24 zones. To promote water conservation you should not have two areas
of differing water needs within the same irrigation zone.
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| Q |
What do I put in the Zone Description box? |
| A |
The zone
description box allows you to personalize each zone for quick and easy
referencing. For example, you could enter, “Front lawn – right side” to remind
you where Zone 1 is located and what is being watered in that area.
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| Q |
How do I know what soil type I have in my yard? |
| A |
The options for
soil type are sand, clay or loam. To determine the soil type in each of your
zones, dig down about four inches and take a sample of moist soil about one inch
in diameter. If you can roll the soil into a tube thinner than a pencil, the
soil is clay. If the soil breaks apart and has a consistent, gritty feel, it is
sand. If the soil contains a lot of organic matter and breaks apart in pieces of
varying size, the soil is loam.
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| Q |
What is
Distribution Uniformity? How do I determine what mine is? |
| A |
Distribution
uniformity is a measure of how evenly your irrigation system distributes water
to a given area. The lower the uniformity, the more unevenly the water
penetrates the soil. The higher the percentage the more efficient your system
is. The best way to determine your distribution uniformity is to take advantage
of Aurora Water’s free CRC water audits. Call (303) 999-3820 ext. 217 for more
information. You can also
click here
to see a list of certified auditors.
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| Q |
Which Irrigation System Information option should I use when filling out the Zone information? |
| A |
All three options
have merits. However, if you have had an irrigation audit, all the necessary
information should be included in your audit. Purchasing a Water Smart Reader
works like an odometer for your water meter. Simply run each irrigation system
zone for a set time (5 minutes) and the reader will give you the information you
need. The last method, Irrigation System, requires you to know what types of
heads or how many drip emitters you have in each zone.
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| Q |
How do I purchase a Water Smart Reader? |
| A |
A Water Smart
Reader can be purchased through the Water Conservation office. Call (303)
739-7351 to schedule an appointment for a water conservation specialist to
install and instruct you on how to use your new Water Smart Reader.
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| Q |
What is
precipitation rate? How do I know my precipitation rate? |
| A |
Precipitation
rate, usually calculated in inches per hour, is a measure of how much water your
irrigation system outputs in a zone. There are a number of ways to determine
your precipitation rate. The easiest way to calculate your precipitation rate is
though a free CRC irrigation audit. Call (303) 999-3820 ext. 217 for more
information. You can also
click here
for a list of certified auditors.
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