City of Santa Fe
Water Conservation Office

Conserving
for Future Generations

Santa Fe’s long-standing water conservation and drought management programs are the best in the Southwest with respect to both comprehensiveness and effectiveness. A primary measure of Santa Fe’s water conservation and drought management success is declining total annual water diversions (29%) to serve a growing number of customers (15%) since 1995.

The annual water diversions totaled 9,086 acre-feet in 2009, compared with 12,737 acre-feet in 1995, while the number of customers served by Sangre de Cristo Water Division increased to an estimated 79,808 people in 2009, from an estimated 67,839 in 1995.

Per Capita Water Demand

Per capita water use is the key performance measure of any municipal water conservation program.  The City of Santa Fe computes its per capita water use as the daily average of annual total water diversions from all sources of supply, less bulk water deliveries to the County of Santa Fe and Las Campanas, divided by the estimated customer population served.

Sangre de Cristo water customers reduced their water use by 42 percent from 1995 to 2009.  The dedication to conserve water has been extraordinary, with per person usage dropping from 168 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) in 1995, to 98 gpcd by the end of 2009.

Santa Fe has achieved low per capita water demand levels through the implementation of a comprehensive set of ordinances that require Santa Fe's citizens and businesses comply with water conservation requirements designed to provide financial incentives to conserve water. These low per capita per day water production statistics are among the lowest in New Mexico and the Southwestern United States.

Outdoor Water Use

The majority of water in Santa Fe is being used inside (81%), while only 19 percent of total water is used outside annually. Residential outdoor water use is approximately 20 percent of total residential consumption, multi-family is approximately 13 percent of total multi-family consumption, and commercial is approximately 25 percent of commercial consumption in which the higher percentage may be attributed to an increase in tourism during the summer months. This outdoor water use contributes to summer peaking at approximately 44 percent in July.

Water Conservation Program Charge (Levy)

Santa Fe is a community with a low per capita water use. The average daily water demand has dropped from 168 gallons per capita daily (gpcd) in 1995, to 100 gpcd in 2008. The low per capita water use is indicative of full and comprehensive community implementation of water conservation.

The City of Santa Fe has already successfully implemented comprehensive water conservation and drought management programs.  These programs have evolved over time and each may continue to change in accordance with the policy direction and decisions of the City of Santa Fe City Council.

In a continuing effort to reduce the per capita water use in Santa Fe, funds are needed for existing rebate programs and future water conservation efforts.  On January 9, 2008 the Santa Fe City Council approved a new rate schedule (Rate Schedule 10 of Exhibit B, Subsection 25-4.2, Chapter 25 SFCC 1987) establishing a special charge for all water service customers in order to fund water conservation programs.

Residential and commercial water customers will pay a once per year water conservation program charge included in the customer's April water bill.  The charge for multi-family customers will be split into four equal payments billed quarterly.  The fee will not be applicable to Sangre de Cristo's life line customers.   The revenue collected will be specifically set aside to fund water conservation programs.

Water Conservation Office:
(505) 955-4225

Water Waste Hotline:
(505) 955-4222

Fax:
(505) 955-4208

Daniel Ransom
Water Conservation Manager
(505) 955-4221
dsransom@santafenm.gov

Randy Sugrue
Water Conservation Specialist
(505) 955-4220
rcsugrue@santafenm.gov

Sangre de Cristo Water Division
Water Conservation Office
801 W. San Mateo Road
P.O. Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909