April 29, 2010 - Denver Water’s summer water use rules begin May 1, but the utility says that doesn’t mean it’s time to start watering your lawn.
“It’s been a soggy April with another wet weekend in the forecast,” said Melissa Essex Elliott, manager of water conservation. “Our watering rules are in place to reinforce good watering habits. Just because it’s May doesn’t mean you need to turn on your sprinklers.”
Denver Water’s watering rules, in effect until Oct. 1, are:
- No lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Do not water more than three days per week (there are no assigned days for watering).
- Do not waste water by allowing it to pool in gutters, streets and alleys.
- Do not waste water by letting it spray on concrete and asphalt.
- Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days.
- Do not use spray irrigation while it is raining or during high winds.
“Half of a household’s water use goes to outside watering,” said Elliott. “Most lawns don’t need as much water as you might think. Watering your lawn two days a week should be sufficient during May and into June.”
The utility will continue to enforce its rules with a roving team of Water Savers. This year, four of the 11 Water Savers will be on bikes. The bicycle monitors went through a customized 9-hour safety training class, taught by BikeDenver.
“Our Use Only What You Need campaign is all about being efficient,” said Elliott. “We decided to have some of our monitors on bikes to save gas and to be more approachable. They will be talking with our customers one-on-one about wise water use.”
If you see water waste in one of Denver’s parks, call 3-1-1. To report waste elsewhere, call Denver Water at 303-628-6343.
Water conservation is part of Denver Water’s long-term plan to secure water for the future. Efficient water use helps the utility postpone or avoid spending more money on other supply options and supports the preservation of Colorado’s natural environment. Denver Water’s goal is to make changes in water use habits a permanent way of life.
Visit Denver Water’s conservation pages for conservation tips, rebates, irrigation calculators and many more tools for saving water outdoors, including suggested watering times.