To: Members of the Castle Rock Water Commission
From: Mark Marlowe, P.E., Director of Castle Rock Water
Nichol Bussey, Business Solutions Manager
Lauren Moore, Water Resources Manager
Title
Water Resources Strategic Master Plan Survey and Open House
Town Council Agenda Date: NA
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
The Water Resources Strategic Master Plan is one of Castle Rock Water’s primary plans for securing a reliable, long-term water supply for the community. Originally developed in 2006 following a major drought, the plan has been updated periodically to reflect accomplishments, changing conditions and future needs. The 2026 update continues this planning effort, addressing groundwater, local renewable supplies, reuse water, imported water, storage and conservation.
Customer input is an important part of the planning process and helps staff understand community priorities, concerns and awareness of the Town’s water supply strategies. Outreach for the 2026 update included a dedicated Water Resources Strategic Master Plan webpage, CRGov.com/WRSMP, an online survey, a news release, informational handouts and opportunities to speak directly with staff. Staff prepared handouts and attended Councilmember open houses on August 25 and September 8, 17, 22 and 29 to share information and answer questions. A news release and additional publicity on September 9 promoted the plan and opportunities for public input.
Castle Rock Water also hosted an open house specifically focused on the plan on October 8, 2026. Fifty-two people attended, providing an opportunity for productive conversations about the Town’s water resources and long-term plans. Staff spent significant time answering questions and discussing attendees’ concerns.
The survey link was removed from the website on October 12, and the survey is no longer being publicized. Although customers with the direct link can still submit responses, the results summarized in this memo reflect 212 completed responses through October 11, 2026.
Results showed substantial support for individual water supply strategies and conservation, while also identifying concerns about growth, costs and the Town’s long-term water security.
Approximately:
• 78% supported moderate, aggressive or mandatory conservation efforts, including 40% who favored aggressive conservation or extensive mandatory measures.
• 68% somewhat or strongly supported renewable water supplies from creeks and rivers.
• 79% somewhat or strongly supported reuse water.
• 75% supported purchasing additional storage as a component of the Town’s water supply.
• 41% were somewhat or very confident in the financial feasibility of the Town’s long-term water supply solutions.
• 62% expressed concerns about the long-term water supply and lacked confidence in the Town’s plan to address those concerns. Another 30% were somewhat concerned but felt the Town was on the right path.
• 39% were somewhat or very confident that Castle Rock Water had a good plan to secure the Town’s long-term water resources, while 35% were not very or not at all confident.
Open-ended feedback identified growth and its relationship to water availability as a recurring concern. Other themes included the cost of securing future supplies and perceptions of unequal conservation expectations or enforcement among residential customers, commercial properties and new development. These comments reflected respondents’ concerns and perceptions and provided useful directions for additional outreach.
The results also identified opportunities to improve awareness of existing programs and regional partnerships. Approximately 57% of respondents were either unaware of Castle Rock Water’s regional partnership efforts or had heard of them but were unfamiliar with the details. Overall, the feedback demonstrated support for the individual components of the water supply strategy while emphasizing the need to continue explaining how those components work together, how they are funded and how the Town plans for growth.
Similar outreach efforts accompanied the 2016 and 2021 plan updates. In 2016, outreach emphasized in-person presentations to boards, commissions and civic organizations. The survey received 69 responses and identified opportunities to improve understanding of the Town’s projects and programs. Reuse water was a major focus of that outreach, and respondents expressed strong support for its acceptance and use as a water supply option.
In 2021, outreach included a dedicated webpage, billing statement notices, a customer email newsletter, handouts at Councilmember open houses and an online survey. A plan-specific open house was also scheduled. As of September 13, 2021, the survey had received 375 responses, with strong support for renewable water, reuse and storage. Concerns about growth, conservation requirements and costs appeared in both the 2016 and 2021 feedback and remained recurring themes in 2026. These efforts provided opportunities to track community perspectives over time, although the survey participation figures reflect different reporting dates rather than comparable final totals.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
Online Information and Survey
• Provided a dedicated webpage with information about the Water Resources Strategic Master Plan, crgov.com/WRSMP, and access to the customer survey.
• Reported 212 completed survey responses through October 11, 2026.
• Reviewed survey responses and comment themes to identify community priorities, concerns and opportunities for additional education.
August 2026
• Prepared informational handouts and attended the August 25 Councilmember open house to discuss the plan and answer questions.
September 2026
• Prepared informational handouts and attended Councilmember open houses on September 8, 17, 22 and 29 to discuss the plan and answer questions.
• Issued a news release and publicized the plan and opportunities for public input.
October 2026
• Hosted the Water Resources Strategic Master Plan open house on October 8, 2026, with 52 attendees.
• Engaged attendees in productive conversations, with staff spending significant time answering questions about the plan and the Town’s water supply strategies.
• Removed the survey link from the website on October 12. The survey is no longer being publicized but remains accessible to customers who have the direct link.