CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Castle Rock has been in drought restrictions since mid-May, but on Tuesday, Castle Rock Water moved to Stage 2 Drought Restrictions, citing worsening conditions.
"The infrastructure is being pushed very hard, and we're using a lot of water," shared Castle Rock Water Director Mark Marlowe. "We really needed to take some steps to bring that back down and provide a little bit more security and buffer for the town as we go forward."
▶️ Denver7's DougCo Reporter Tyler Melito talks with water officials, residents and business owners about the new restrictions
Marlowe told Denver7's Douglas County Reporter Tyler Melito the goal is to achieve 25% water savings.
Restrictions during this stage include (per Castle Rock Water):
- Outdoor watering restricted to two days per week.
- Hand watering restricted to two days per week.
- Tier 2 water budgets are reduced by 50%
- New landscaping is discouraged as temporary watering exemptions will not be given.
- Power-washing of driveways, sidewalks and fences is not allowed.
- Fountains that do not use recycled water are not allowed.
Other recommendations include:
- All private and commercial pools/hot tubs should be covered when not in use.
- Commercial car washes are encouraged to reduce water usage by 10%.
- Vehicles at car dealerships should be washed with a bucket and hand-held hose with shut-off nozzle.
- Restaurants are encouraged to only serve water to costumers when asked.
Marlowe says outdoor irrigation has been the biggest obstacle.
"Outdoor irrigation accounts for 40, sometimes as much as 50 percent of our annual water usage," Marlowe explained. "When you have these hot, dry temperatures, that goes up significantly because people are trying to maintain and they're trying to keep their grass green and all those other kinds of things."
Despite being in drought restrictions for more than two months, Marlowe told Melito the month of June was one of the worst months for overall water usage in recent years.
"The weather, the creek, the renewable water supplies-you know where Denver and Aurora are all of those things have kind of brought us to the point where it's just time to take an extra step," Marlowe detailed.
For some Castle Rock residents like Andy Stewart, the tightening of restrictions is a welcome sight.
"My reaction was, it's about time. I mean, anybody who lives here knows how dry it's been through the last winter and the summer so far, and I'm happy to comply," Stewart said.
When Melito spoke with Stewart on Thursday, he was in the middle of tearing up his lawn, citing a program with Castle Rock Water where if a customer opts for grass that doesn't need to be watered, they can get money for their old grass.
"I'm tearing mine out because I don't want to spend the money on the water and don't want to use that much water," Stewart said.
John DeLay, owner of community staple of 37 years Pegasus Restaurant, said he has never seen anything like this. It's gotten to the point where even a little bit of rain is a welcome sight.
"Given the rain last night, we are blessed to get that small amount," DeLay said. "We want the monsoon moisture in Douglas County."
Despite the new recommendations for restuarants to only serve water upon request, DeLay says they have already been doing that at Pegasus since the spring, saying they have been working really hard to do their part.
"Every once in a while we have to correct a wait person saying, 'Wait a minute, we just don't take waters without request,' and so I believe wholeheartedly in the regulation." DeLay said.
DeLay adds neighboring businesses are also on board.
"I've been here a long time, where I know all of them, and we're all in agreement with this regulation," DeLay shared.
You can learn more about drought restrictions in Castle Rock here.
