BERTHOUD, Colo. — Conserving water is top of mind for many as the climate continues to change. Denver7 met up with Spencer Bernard from Northern Water to talk about their Berthoud campus and the programs they offer.
Northern Water provides a wide range of services to help folks in northern Colorado conserve water, specifically on their outdoor landscapes.
Bernard explained they work collaboratively with partners to maximize opportunities for water efficiency. On the education side, they work with the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and the Irrigation Association to teach classes about efficient irrigation and sustainable landscaping practices to the landscape industry and municipal staff and prepare them to earn certifications.
Thanks to partnerships with Resource Central and Aqua Engineering, Bernard said they offer free irrigation assessments for commercial and municipal properties, including HOAs, to identify ways to improve the performance of their irrigation systems and cut down on water usage. Northern Water also offers free landscape consultations to improve and enhance their landscape’s water efficiency, whether that’s upgrading irrigation components or replacing high-water use non-functional turf with climate-appropriate gardens and native grass.
Bernard said not only do they help people find ways to save, but they also offer financial help to put it all into action. Northern Water offers one-to-one matching grants worth up to $25,000 to support irrigation upgrades or turf replacement projects on commercial properties.
Since 2019, Northern Water has co-funded a total of 80 projects over 8.2 million square feet of landscapes in HOAs, municipal properties, faith-based organizations, and other non-single family residential properties, according to Bernard.