Denver Water is set to decide Wednesday whether to ban its 1.5 million customers from all lawn watering starting in October, as drought conditions continue across the region.
The new rule, building on current twice-weekly outside watering restrictions, would prohibit customers from watering grass after Sept. 30, before the typical first freeze. A few exceptions would apply, such as for public parks and athletic facilities, with approval from Denver Water.
The Denver Board of Water Commissioners will decide whether to update the utility’s drought response rules during its meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Denver Water is the largest water utility in Colorado and serves much of the metro area.
The new rules, if adopted, would still allow people to water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by hand or by non-spray irrigation systems, but not by using sprinklers.
“The goal of updating the drought response is to save additional water while protecting the community’s investment in landscapes and preserve water for health, safety, and economic vitality to the greatest extent possible,” Denver Water staff wrote in a memo to the board.
