Conserve to Enhance’s innovative approach provides a direct connection between voluntary water conservation actions by water users and local environmental projects. Development of a C2E program can be driven by a water utility, a local environmental organization, or both. Once C2E is established in your community, participating water customers can: 1. Conserve water at their home or business by changing behaviors and/or installing new water-conserving technologies. 2. Track water savings compared to their past water use through their water bills. 3. Donate the money saved on their water bill as a result of water conservation to a C2E fund. 4. Then, the C2E fund provides money to community-selected environmental enhancement projects, ranging from securing instream flows, to restoring riparian areas, to building green infrastructure projects like curb cuts and basins.

Project Results

A C2E Program provides a platform for engaging water customers in a deeper conversation about water resources and choices in conservation, while benefiting the community and the environment alike. The environment benefits as water is conserved – more water stays in the ground or in streams to begin with - and also as projects are identified to directly benefit a community’s natural habitats and water resources. Better natural places means people have better choices for outdoor recreation and leisure, as well as healthier neighborhoods. Developing a program like C2E that ties into existing water conservation priorities promotes the utility as a leader of community-wide stewardship toward water resources. C2E really is a win-win for communities and the environment.