Broomfield, CO
New Landscape Code Reduces Water Demand While Supporting Local Wildlife and Pollinators Our Approach Project OutcomesProject Goal
The City and County of Broomfield, home to nearly 74,000, is one of Colorado’s fastest growing communities and expects a 50% population increase by buildout. to grow rapidly. With 60–70% of its annual water supply used for outdoor irrigation, climate change and prolonged drought pose serious challenges. And yet, Broomfield had little existing code that that included waterwise landscaping principles. Creating an innovative ordinance was a crucial step to ensure long-term water resilience in new and redevelopment projects.
Our Approach
WaterNow Alliance and Western Resource Advocates (WRA) partnered with the City and County of Broomfield to develop and pass an ordinance addressing water efficient landscapes and irrigation in new and redevelopment projects. The team researched other municipal codes, best practices, and technical elements to draft ordinance language, then refined it after organizing and receiving community feedback. WaterNow and WRA also created communication, engagement, and educational materials, and supported Broomfield staff in developing a supplemental Landscape Reference Manual to help implement the ordinance.
Outcomes
Broomfield’s new ordinance – among one of the strongest in Colorado – limits high-water use turf to 30% of the total landscaped area and seed mix blends to less than 20% cool-season turf species in most new and redevelopment projects. Unanimously adopted in August 2023, this ordinance will help Broomfield meet its 2040 goal of reducing system-wide water demand by 10%, while lowering customer water bills, supporting resilient landscapes, and benefiting local wildlife, pollinators, and the environment.
Image: Sunrise Over Broomfield, CO. Gary J. Wood. CC BY-SA 2.0.
