The average person uses almost 100 gallons of water per day. By utilizing less well water, you will be adding to the longevity of your well and the aquifer.
An average household uses 0.4 acre-ft of water per year.
Up to 50 percent of water usage is for outdoor use.
Your kitchen sink uses an average of 4 gallons per minute of water.
The average load of laundry uses 43 gallons of water.
A 5 minute shower uses 12 gallons of water.
Toilets designed after 1993 use 1.6 gallons per flush. A toilet that was designed prior to 1993 uses 3.5 to 8 gallons per flush.
Avoid using toilet tank tablet cleaners as they can weaken the parts of your toilet and make it more prone to leaks. Repairing toilet leaks can save on average 600 gallons of water per month.
Running a full dishwasher uses less water than washing the same dishes by hand.
If you only run your dishwasher when its full, you can save an average 1,000 gallons of water a month.
Rain water collection is now legal for many residents with well water to collect up to 110 gallons of rainwater. Please visit the Colorado Division of Water Resources website to see if you qualify to collect rainwater.
If you must water your lawn during the summer, an established lawn should only require 1 inch of water per week during summer. Mow your lawn at a height of 3 inches to keep it healthy and drought tolerant.
A sustainable resource is one that supports the current need and is maintained to meet the needs of future generations. The aquifers of the Denver Basin, including the Dawson aquifer, are declining and, with current use, are not sustainable.
Water for New Developments
Although no one knows how much water remains in the Black Forest aquifers, new construction will add new wells. These developments are underway:
Winsome/McCune Ranch (near Hodgen and Meridian roads) plans 143 lots, each with a Dawson well.
The Ranch (Londonderry and Stapleton roads) proposes 2,100 homes supplied by Sterling Metropolitan District which pumps water from all four aquifers.
Retreat at TimberRidge (near Vollmer and Poco Roads) plans 164 homes with Sterling Metropolitan District water and 51 homes with individual Dawson wells.
Homestead (East of Vollmer, north of Woodmen) proposes a maximum of 5,228 dwelling units using water from Sterling Metropolitan District.
Flying Horse North (at Hodgen and Black Forest roads) plans 283 lots each with a Dawson well and a golf course watered by a Denver aquifer well. The Cherokee Metropolitan District’s four wells in Black Forest are near Hodgen and Black Forest roads. Currently, Cherokee pumps water to 18,000 residents in southeast Colorado Springs from the four aquifers. None of the water goes to Black Forest residents.
What You Can Do
To determine how your well is affected by current or future pumping, you need to measure the well water level periodically, at least twice in the first year and at least once each following year. You can measure it yourself or contact a professional hydrogeologist. To perform measurements:
Locate your well permit and note the entry for the static water level prior to the pumping test. You can find your well permit at Colorado Division of Water Resources.
Ideally, perform the measurement at a time when no unusually large amount of water has been pumped in the last few hours.
Remove the well cap being careful to keep the cap, well opening, all parts and equipment clean to avoid contaminating the well.
Measure the depth from the top of the well pipe to the water.
Record the date, water level (to the nearest inch, if possible) and equipment used.
Replace the well cap.
You can compare the water level reading with the initial static water level from the well permit. Whether you measure the well water yourself or hire a professional, the results may be kept private.
