Winter 2026
FACT SHEET
Colorado Water Conservation & Efficiency CO N S E RVAT I O N VS . E F F I C I E N C Y: W H AT ’ S THE DIFFERENCE? The terms “water conservation” and “water efficiency” are often used interchangeably, but the words have different meanings and connotations in municipal and agricultural water use. Conservation refers to measures that provide a verifiable reduction in the amount of water used and consumed.
usually equates to less water available for plants to grow, resulting in lower crop yields and reduced farm income. Conservation can also result from growing less water-intensive crops. Agricultural water conservation is usually accomplished by leaving water in the river or aquifer. Efficiency focuses on minimizing the amount of water required to accomplish a task, typically by using technology.
• In agriculture, conservation means reducing crop consumptive use, which
• Agricultural water efficiency is the ratio of water consumed by a crop
40
%
70
%
What’s limiting water availability? • Temperature and precipitation patterns are becoming more
90
%
The percentage of Colorado’s municipal water used for outdoor irrigation
The percentage of Colorado’s municipal and industrial outdoor water use that occurs in the South Platte River Basin
The percentage of agricultural sprinkler irrigation in the state that relies on center pivot systems
12
164
150-300k
%
The percentage of Colorado’s municipal water that is lost en route to its destination
The average number of gallons that Coloradans use per capita per day for municipal purposes
S O U R C E S : B B C R E S E A R C H , C O L O R A D O WAT E R C O N S E R VAT I O N B O A R D , C O L O R A D O WAT E R P L A N .
Colorado Water Consumption by Sector 90%
W H Y CO N S E RVAT I O N AND EFFICIENCY?
Colorado’s water supply is limited, and growing even more so, and water demands are expected to increase. The future could result in a gap — in which water demand exceeds supply — of 230,000 to 740,000 acre-feet per year for industrial and municipal uses. That would leave many water needs unmet or met in undesirable ways, according to the 2023 Colorado Water Plan. In agriculture, about 20% of water demand is currently unmet. The need to parse scarce water supplies among many valuable uses increases the necessity for conservation and efficient use. The 2019 Technical Update to the Colorado Water Plan estimated that conservation and efficiency measures could reduce Colorado’s future water needs by 300,000 acre-feet per year. OLLO/ISTOCK
• With municipal water use, conservation is often accomplished through behavior change.
• Efficiency in homes and cities can be achieved with items such as high-efficiency toilets and shower heads, high-efficiency clothes washers, and drip irrigation systems.
relative to the amount of water used to irrigate that crop. Improved irrigation efficiency results from reducing water delivery and irrigation amounts without reducing crop yields. This is accomplished by decreasing on-farm water seepage or runoff losses. For a farmer, the goal is to maintain a crop’s water use rate and yield while reducing water losses.
The number of irrigated acres projected to be fallowed by 2050 as a result of agricultural to municipal or industrial water transfers
7% 3% Agricultural: 4,844,000 acre-feet Municipal: 380,000 acre-feet Industrial: 116,000 acre-feet SOURCE: COLOR ADO D I V I S I O N O F WAT E R R E S O U R C E S
variable and less predictable under climate change. • Population is rising - The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) projects that Colorado’s population could reach 7.4 million people by 2050 — up from 5.9 million in 2024. Growth in population, commerce and industry drives municipal water demand.
LEARN MORE For additional information and resources, read the Community Guide to Colorado Water Conservation & Efficiency.