Denver Water board to consider restrictions ending most grass watering after Sept. 30
The board is scheduled to consider an amendment to its Stage 1 drought response on Aug. 26; the proposed restrictions have not been adopted.
Denver Water’s Board of Water Commissioners is scheduled to consider an amendment to its Stage 1 drought declaration that would prohibit most grass watering after Sept. 30 and take effect Oct. 1, 2026. The board has not yet met as of Aug. 23, so the proposal could still be adopted, changed, postponed or rejected.
The Aug. 26 meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at Denver Water’s Board Room, with remote access available, according to Denver Water’s 2026 meeting page. The page does not yet include approved minutes for the meeting.
The prospective agenda and proposed Resolution #002a-2026 recommend extending the current Stage 1 drought response with new measures beginning Oct. 1 and continuing until further board action. The resolution’s prefilled language refers to Aug. 26 as the adoption date, but that does not establish that a vote has occurred.
Denver Water reports record-low April-through-July natural streamflow of 95,000 acre-feet, or 22% of normal. The agenda also reports reservoir storage at 73% of the historic median on Aug. 20, down from 94% of the median, and says the Denver metro area had its hottest year on record through July.
What the proposal would do
The proposal would prohibit grass watering after Sept. 30. High-traffic or active-use areas, including public parks, school grounds, athletic fields, tee boxes and greens, could be watered only under a Denver Water-approved water budget or written variance.
New grass generally could not be established after Sept. 30 without a variance. The resolution lists possible variance factors including plant type, area, need, time of year, soil type and irrigation system. Examples include landscape restoration, landscaping required for a certificate of occupancy, remediation and water-wise landscaping.
Trees, shrubs and perennials could continue to be watered on any day, but only with a hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle or low-volume, non-spray irrigation. Annuals and vegetables could be watered the same way until the first frost after Sept. 30. Spray irrigation would not be allowed for those categories.
The proposal also would require irrigation systems to be attended during installation, repair or reasonable maintenance and would prohibit water waste. Customers would have to reprogram irrigation controllers. Other proposed measures would:
- Limit personal vehicle washing outside commercial car washes to a bucket or a hand-held hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle.
- Limit commercial and fleet vehicle washing to once a week, except when more frequent washing is needed for public health or safety.
- Limit power-washing of impervious surfaces to immediate health or safety needs. Businesses that rely on water cleaning would have to use high-efficiency equipment and prevent water waste.
- Require restaurants and catering businesses to serve water only upon request.
- Require lodging establishments to change sheets no more often than every four days for guests staying more than one night, except for health, safety or guest-request reasons.
- Require certain fixed-amount contract customers to reduce delivered water by 20% when their agreements allow drought reductions and avoid outdoor watering with Denver Water supplies from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. year-round.
The proposal would apply to customers receiving Denver Water supplies inside and outside Denver and the utility’s Combined Service Area, as well as lessees receiving potable or nonpotable water under fixed-amount contracts. It sets a systemwide conservation objective of reducing water consumption by 20%.
Estimated savings and enforcement
Denver Water staff estimate that ending grass irrigation after Sept. 30 could save about 5,000 acre-feet of water in 2026 and reduce October water-sales revenue by approximately $7.5 million. Those are projections, not measured results; the available record contains no post-implementation savings or revenue data.
The proposed resolution would classify grass watering after Sept. 30 as unauthorized use and a willful violation unless a written exception applied. Proposed enforcement could include fines of up to $2,000, installation of a flow restrictor, suspension of service or revocation of a tap license under Denver Water’s operating rules, licenses and contracts.
Denver Water’s existing summer-watering rules list a warning for a first violation for single-family residential customers, followed by charges of $250, $500 and $1,000 for second through fourth violations. Continued noncompliance may lead to temporary restriction or suspension of service. The available materials do not establish whether that schedule would apply unchanged to every customer class under the proposed resolution.
Denver Water separately describes a Watering Establishment Permit process that allows limited temporary watering for new bluegrass seed, sod, trees or plants and native-grass seed. The proposed resolution’s broader variance categories are not fully explained in the available record.
The agenda directs Denver Water’s CEO/Manager and staff to implement, enforce and monitor the restrictions, including water use, reservoir contents, temperature, precipitation, snowpack, streamflow and soil moisture. It does not specify a customer-notification schedule, customer count, detailed inspection procedure, evidence standard or notice sequence.
The board’s vote and the final terms remain unresolved. Approved minutes, a signed resolution or an official recording will be needed to determine whether the board adopts Resolution #002a-2026 and whether the proposed effective date, restrictions and enforcement provisions change.