Adopted and approved on April 8, 2026, by the City and County of Denver acting by and through its Board of Water Commissioners
The Board of Water Commissioners finds that:
- On March 25, 2026, the Board adopted Resolution #002-2026, declaring a Stage 1 Drought and implementing certain actions designed to achieve water savings of 20%, effective from March 25, 2026 through April 30, 2027 or until further action by the Board. The Board’s findings in Resolution #002-2026 are incorporated herein.
- Drought pricing on irrigation and other nonessential water usage encourages customers to be judicious in their use of water for these purposes while maintaining the affordability of essential, indoor water use.
- Tiered pricing ensures that higher-usage customers pay more, thus incentivizing water use reductions.
Based on the foregoing findings and pursuant to Article X of the Charter of the City and County of Denver and Denver Water Operating Rules, the Board adopts drought pricing as follows, effective for bills dated June 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, or until further action by the Board:
- For residential customers (both inside and outside the City and County of Denver) the Board adopts the following drought charges based on usage above the average winter consumption (AWC):
| Residential drought charge | Drought charge $/1,000 gallons |
|---|---|
| Tier 1: Average Winter Consumption (AWC) | $0.00 |
| Tier 2: AWC + 15,000 gallons | $1.10 |
| Tier 3: Greater than AWC + 15,000 gallons | $2.20 |
- For all other customer classes, the Board adopts the following drought charges:
| Rate class | Drought charge $/1,000 gallons |
|---|---|
| Nonresidential | Tier 2: $1.10 Tier 3: $2.20 |
| Irrigation | Winter: $1.10 Summer: $2.20 |
| Wholesale Treated | $1.65 on demand over winter average |
| City and County of Denver Domestic | $0.55 on demand over winter average |
| City and County of Denver Irrigation | $0.55 on summer irrigation |
- Drought charges will be added to the customer’s existing rate.