Water Blog

Don’t let the cold temperatures of winter burst your pipes. By following these simple tips, you’ll not only save yourself the trouble of broken pipes and gushing water, but you’ll also save yourself a lot of money in repair fees.

Greeley usually receives its first freeze in October. Here are a few tips to prevent frozen water pipes, which are expensive, inconvenient, and wasteful.

Greeley’s Water & Sewer Department and its contractors work tirelessly to maintain the city’s water infrastructure that is more than a century old in places and susceptible to breaks and leaks. 

Your water budget is not only set for the number of people in your household, the size of your yard and the weather.  So you are going to have a bigger budget in July than you will in June and August. The city allows an ample water budget for your yard, but sometimes, if you overwater to compensate for the heat, you will go over your water budget.

Summer’s warmer temperatures provide an excellent breeding ground for algal blooms in source water reservoirs. The molecules from these algal blooms can release a swampy or earthy taste and odor into the water. Despite the undesirable taste and odor, the water is still safe to drink.

Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 23-150, which requires manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers to properly label packages of disposable wipes with a “Do Not Flush” label.

Despite experiencing above-average precipitation this year in Northern Colorado, the onset of the wildfire season has merely been delayed. In observance of Source Water Protection Week (September 24-30) the American Water Works Association commends water utilities’ endeavors to safeguard this vital resource.

During the fall and winter water trees depending on weather, temperature, and soil conditions. You should water in the winter when it is above 40 degrees and when there is no snow cover.

You didn’t notice, did you? Greeley’s summer water, which has sometimes been the source of taste and odor complaints in the past, remained complaint-free this summer. That’s a statistic the city is working to keep on trend as investments are made in our treatment plants, and out certified water operators continue perfecting the process to keep water great-tasting all year.

Here are 10 helpful landscaping tips for fall in Colorado. 

While Colorado and the West have regularly faced compromised water from shrinking rivers and forest fire damage, Greeley has weathered the storm a bit better than most. The City has been able to tap into its many water sources to fill the gaps left by fires and drought that plague the Rocky Mountain West – a vital part of the city’s water planning that stems back at least 100 years. But now is no time to rest. 

You may have noticed a change or two at Bittersweet Park. Taller grass, perhaps a tad less-manicured? What may look a little wild to some really is a look of au naturale to the city and water conservationists.  The park was “reimagined” into one that practices what Greeley preaches: using xeriscaping and low-water, native plants and grasses instead of non-native, water-thirsty ones.

Water in the West has been a complicated issue for more than 150 years; and modern Western water law began here in Greeley. To this day, water availability and security are at the forefront of the city’s future planning. With continued drought and the effects of forest fires on our drinking water, finding inventive ways to save this precious resource has become a critical issue throughout the West. Greeley water officials are leading the way.

When fires destroy a community’s watershed, the main source of water supply, many cities would be hard-pressed to clean up their supply without disruption. But Greeley has several different sources from which to draw its drinking water, and it has built great relationships with other water providers to work together in difficult times.

As the city of Greeley grows, so too does its expenses. Water prices, especially, can make growth a painful prospect for a city and its residents. But Greeley’s water leadership continues to find innovative ways to navigate such expenses without passing overly-burdensome costs onto ratepayers.

In 20 years of testing, Greeley’s drinking water has yet to violate state guidelines, and the news is no different this year. The latest Water Quality Report, which reveals how Greeley’s water performed on state testing, reveals similar results, giving Greeley’s drinking water a clean bill of health.

Have you always wanted to try your hand at gardening or xeriscape and didn’t know where to start? Greeley’s Garden in a Box program is an easy way to dip your toe in the water with ready-made planting guides and plant pairings to make the perfect water-wise home garden.

The City of Greeley is just as invested in conserving water as you are for saving money on your summer watering bill.That's why the city offers free irrigation audits to residents, which have been shown to help residential customers become 13 percent more efficient in their water usage.

As with practically everything else in the modern world, digital technology is transforming our daily lives. Watches monitor our health; phones recognize our voices; our cars practically drive for us. Soon, the city of Greeley will embark on an important project to start saving water with digital technology.

Greeley’s drinking water comes from mountain snowmelt into six high mountain reservoirs. But when summer forest fires damage our watersheds, it can create a big problem. Watershed Recovery Video