ERIE, Colo. — The Town of Erie is asking residents to refrain from turning on their sprinklers despite the unusually warm weather. Erie said water demand is currently approaching 30% higher than usual for the time of year, and the town does not receive enough supply to meet that demand from irrigation systems.
In winter, the Town of Erie typically uses about 2 million gallons of water per day and the system can only deliver about 3.5 million gallons per day. When sprinkler systems turn on in the summer, water demand generally jumps to 11 million gallons of water per day, the Town of Erie said on social media.
Erie warned residents it would monitor sprinkler use to ensure there's enough water for fire hydrants in case of emergencies, and for people to have enough drinking water at home. The town threatened to turn off the water taps on properties if residents and HOAs or businesses don't comply with town orders. For large HOAs, the town would shut off only irrigation water. For individual households, the town would cut off water service to the entire home.
Residents may see sprinklers running in parks, according to the town, but that's because they're using non-potable water while home owners use treated drinking water.
"This is an extraordinary measure for an extremely precarious situation. The town does not take turning off water taps lightly, we are also expecting windy conditions in the coming days which will increase fire danger," the town said in its alert.
The restrictions apply to sprinklers and turf watering, but not to hand-watering trees, shrubs, or gardens.
The order is in place through the end of March. Starting April 4, residents at even-numbered addresses may begin irrigation. Residents at odd-numbered addresses may begin on April 6.
Erie residents can get more information here or ask town leadership questions at 303-926-2701.
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