Maybe it was the time a giant toilet ran across Mile High Stadium to a stunned crowd, getting tackled by a security guard as the scoreboard blared: Stop Running Toilets. Or maybe it was when professional landscapers and horticulture professors wrote disgruntled letters about billboards and radio spots that joked, “Grass is Dumb.”

At some point from 2006-2016, Denver Water’s signature orange box asking customers to Use Only What You Need became advertising legend in the metro area, winning countless awards, prompting dozens of requests to buy the rights for the campaign, and even eliciting interest for use on specialty license plates. The campaign came to a close in 2016, making way for a more broad-range message that will go beyond conservation and focus on other issues, including water quality, recreation and long-range planning, among others.

It was modern, often outrageous, and sparked a conversation throughout the city. It also worked. During the campaign, customers reduced their water use by more than 20 percent, despite a 15 percent population increase.

"Use Only What You Need made people think twice about their water use," said Jeff Tejral, Denver Water manager of water efficiency. “The culture has since changed and water use has changed,” Tejral said. “We need to capture that success and move forward.”

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