Denver only used 3.19 billion gallons of water last December, a record low for the city, reported the Denver Post. The last time December water use was this low was in 1973 -- when Denver had 350,000 fewer people.
The city has asked residents to curb their water usage, implemented summer lawn-watering restrictions, and offered rebates to switch to water-saving appliances.
The low use this winter continues a trend of declining water use despite a growing population. Denver residents use 82 gallons a day per person for all indoor and outdoor purposes, utility data show. That's down from 104 gallons in 2001 and puts Denver ahead of other Western cities that are counting on conservation to avoid running dry.
[...]
Farmers use the most water, by far, for food production — an 85 percent share in Colorado. Yet it is city dwellers who are making the greatest strides in water conservation.
Denver Water leaders last week declared a new target for 1.3 million customers: 30 gallons a day for indoor use.
Read more at the Denver Post.
