Realty One Property Management, Inc, 1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite #400 Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
Residents established a new record in 2019 - can you top it?
Water consumption
Cherry Creek 3 measures water consumption during its fiscal year, Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. For the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2019, the HOA and its residents set a modern-day, record low by using 20.41 million gallons of water. That beat the 2014-15 consumption record of 20.84 million gallons. When you consider the neighborhood used 36.7 million gallons in 2008-09, we've come a long, long way toward improved water efficiency and consumption.
A copy of the 2020 Annual Water Conservation newsletter, including information on how to get an HOA rebate if you install a new water-efficient device in your home, is posted below as a PDF.
To give you an idea of what 15 million gallons of saved water looks like, view the photo of the HOA swimming pool and imagine 137 swimming pools side-by-side - that's 15 million gallons!
Efficiency: Saving water, saving money
Why everyone here should participate in water efficiency
Less than a dozen years ago, people who lived in Cherry Creek 3 may not have thought much about the water they use daily. Water was something one didn't have to think much about... just open the faucet and it was there.
Today, Cherry Creek 3 owners and residents are paying much better attention to the water they use, showing that practicing conservation is a beneficial thing to the environment as well as their own pocketbooks.
Unlike a freestanding, single-family home, this neighborhood doesn't have individual water meters outside the home. All the water (and sewage) is part of the monthly HOA dues paid by owners. Several years back, the cost of water and sewage accounted for more than 42% of the Association's budget.
These days, the cost of those items is less, thanks to conservation efforts by residents and the HOA Board. In fact, during recent years, the HOA has been using about 15 million fewer gallons per year compared to a half-dozen years ago. Reducing water consumption also means cutting the sewage bill. (Yes, the prices for water and sewage rise each year but continued conservation helps keep the HOA's costs - ultimately, owners' costs - to minimal increases.)
Please keep up the GREAT work, Cherry Creek 3. Every drop you save it literally money in the bank for everyone who lives here!
PLEASE NOTE: Conservation and saving money on water (and sewage) is an ongoing process... It's never over. Please do your part to help keep water bills at a minimum. That's why the HOA asks people to use water wisely indoors and outside. Washing cars, hosing off driveways and letting hoses run unchecked are things that waste water. Please remember that everyone pays for the water we all use. See further down this page for information on water-saving tips and how to get rebates for new water devices!
How well are your family and you educated about water?
Water is money! Let’s all save together!
If you turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper, it’s likely you’ll find somebody talking about drinking water.
Throughout the West, stories of droughts and water restrictions have been reported for years. Here in the Front Range, residents and builders are engaged in lawsuits over whether there will be sufficient water for proposed new housing developments.
After a lengthy study, the State unveiled a massive, 450-page Colorado Water Plan that outlines the water issue in our state. Given the rapid increase in the state population, it is possible water could be in short supply by 2050 when the state’s number of people doubles to nearly 10 million. In addition to recommending building new infrastructure to store water, the state plan heavily calls for stepped-up conservation of water currently available to help meet future water needs.
What does water have to do with those of us who live in Cherry Creek 3? The short answer: a lot. A big part of HOA’s annual monthly budget – which comes from the monthly maintenance dues – goes toward water and sewage costs. Combined, the cost for water and sewage is the single-largest cost paid by the Association (even more than insurance.) The more everyone can better-manage the water they use in their private homes, the better for the community as a whole.
Please understand: CC3 is doing a great job in saving water but there's always the fact that we could do better!
It’s true: Cherry Creek 3 has been recognized by Colorado WaterWise and other organizations for cutting its annual water consumption by about 15 million gallons. (In 2008-09, the Association used nearly 37 million gallons annually. In the past three years, we have averaged between 20 and 22 million gallons. By installing high-efficiency toilets, using more efficient outdoor water practices and installing landscaping using low-water native plants and xeriscaping, Cherry Creek 3 has indeed been a leader. The HOA saved more than $100,000 in recent years with those efficiency measures, compared to what it would have spent had no conservation actions been taken. However, practicing conservation is an ongoing effort. Many new residents aren’t aware of the cost of water (and sewage) to the Association. In some cases, people have the incorrect notion that water is “free." It really isn't!
Cherry Creek 3 strongly suggests talking about conservation and asks everyone to do their part regarding the water we all use and need. We can use whatever we want – and face a hike in the monthly HOA dues to pay for it – or we can all stop, think and put good conservation practices into place every day. If you save water every day, it will help all of us save money, too!
*IRRIGATION SYSTEM OPERATION: The sprinkler system begins operating in mid- to late May. It operates on Monday, Thursday and Saturday nights in accordance with Denver Water recommendations.
More than 1,500 Hunter MP Rotary heads replaced traditional sprinkler heads at Cherry Creek 3, savin