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Water Conservation at The Cape

Water Dripping

The Cape HOA in Lakewood, Colorado.

Also known as Waterside II, sounds like a marine or aquatic paradise, or at least close to an abundant supply of water. Like all other Denver-area communities, however, it suffers from the same water shortage risks that accompany residing in an arid-to-semi-arid region. Here is a summary of why they decided to engage on a large water conservation project and how it is going.

For a long time, water costs for The Cape HOA were simply too high. In 2014, water was the third highest cost for the Association, behind insurance and required reserve contributions. This all while outdoor water use was dramatically reduced over the years. In exploring why water costs were still excessive, it was noticed that so many of the condominiums in the community contained the original toilet(s) installed in the mid-1980s. Like many HOAs established in that era, those toilets generally consume a full five gallons of water per flush (5.0gpf). It became obvious that obsolete interior fixtures were the primary cause of high water bills.

After reviewing some of CAP Management’s previous award-winning work in water conservation, The Cape Board of Directors requested that Chief Sustainability Officer Alex Bergeron attend a Board meeting to discuss how CAP’s services might be of benefit to them. After some time considering the costs and benefits of engaging in a water conservation project, it was decided that the HOA should move ahead with replacing old toilets, faucet aerators, and showerheads and begin saving money.

Our friends at Denver Water have once again made it easy for the HOA to bring an association-wide project to a swift completion. They are offering up to a $150 rebate for each original toilet replaced with an ultra-high-efficiency 0.8gpf toilet. We will again be using the Niagara Conservation Stealth toilets. These are the same toilets used in previous projects and have been met with high regard by our homeowners. In addition, Denver water is providing new showerheads and faucet aerators to qualifying homes that would like them.

The “auditing” of the condos began July 20th. Just 10 days later, more than 70% of homes had either had their audit completed or were scheduled to have it done. This widespread compliance with our request to perform the audits shows just how eager homeowners are to reduce the water consumption from their properties and lower their water bills. During audits, toilet models are determined, leaks are identified, and homeowner information is collected to better HOA records.

We are excited to move into the next phase of the projects once all of the audits are complete. Within just a couple short months, The Cape HOA will be saving thousands of dollars a month on their water bill. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds!