Summer ’18 Project Accelerator: Thornton, CO

Project Goal

WaterNow Alliance worked with the City of Thornton on a program to incentivize water efficiency in new home construction by creating a program that is cost-effective for the City and motivates developers to install ultra-efficient plumbing fixtures and low-water use landscapes at the construction phase. We believe this Accelerator project represents a special opportunity to develop a program that can be replicated in other communities, making Thornton a model across the West and nationwide

Our Approach

The Denver metro area, and the City of Thornton in particular, is experiencing a booming economy and steady population growth. To ensure that Thornton can meet the water needs of their population, both now and into the future, Thornton has offered a suite of conservation programs to improve efficiency and manage demand.

In anticipation of further projected growth, and as part of their 2018 Water Efficiency Plan, Thornton was interested in developing a new program to incentivize the construction of new homes that are water efficient. As part of the WaterNow Project Accelerator, we worked with Thornton to develop an incentive program that is cost-effective for the utility and motivates developers to install ultra-efficient plumbing fixtures and low-water use landscapes at the construction phase.

Given the rapid growth cities throughout the West are experiencing, this program gives Thornton and WaterNow the opportunity to develop a model program that can be replicated in other booming communities.