It’s a drought. Use Only What You Need.
Because of extremely dry conditions, Denver Water is asking customers to reduce total water use — indoors and outdoors — by at least 20%. These temporary drought targets will help stretch our water supplies and reduce the likelihood of increasing restrictions later this summer.
Your Water Use Report shows personalized monthly targets to help you understand how much water your home needs — and where you can save. By staying within these targets, you’re helping our community remain resilient during this dry spell.
To respond to the current drought, we have lowered our outdoor water efficiency benchmark from 12 gallons to 8 gallons per square foot of landscape annually.
Here is an example of a revised drought water budget for a 3,000-square-foot landscape:
- 3,000 sq. ft. × 8 gallons = 24,000 gallons annually.
When we distribute this budget across the growing season (based on plant needs) and add in a 20% reduced indoor target, a monthly report looks like this:
| Month | % of outdoor water allocation | Outdoor gallons (drought target) | Reduced indoor target (gallons) | Total efficiency target (gallons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 6.5% | 2,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 |
| May | 14.5% | 4,000 | 3,000 | 7,000 |
| June | 21.5% | 5,000 | 3,000 | 8,000 |
| July | 21.5% | 5,000 | 3,000 | 8,000 |
| August | 17% | 4,000 | 3,000 | 7,000 |
| September | 14% | 3,000 | 3,000 | 6,000 |
| October | 5% | 1,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 |
| Total | 100 | 24,000 | 21,000 | 45,000 |
Note: Indoor targets in this example reflect a 20% reduction from the standard average consumption.
During non-drought years, 12 gallons per square foot is the benchmark for an efficient landscape. However, the current drought requires us to prioritize essential use. Moving to an 8-gallon-per-square-foot target helps stretch our water supplies. While your lawn might not be as lush as usual, this level of watering is designed to keep plants alive while significantly reducing community-wide water use.
We are asking all customers to reduce indoor water use by 20%.
Typically, 40 gallons per person per day is considered efficient. During this drought, we are aiming for 32 gallons per person per day.
How do you know if you are hitting the drought target? Follow these steps:
- Locate you average winter consumption (AWC) on your bill (this is your usage from January–March).
- Calculate your drought goal by multiplying your current AWC by 0.80 (a 20% reduction).
- Compare your household to the drought efficiency table below:
| Family Size | Drought target (32 gallons per day, per person) |
|---|---|
| Five people | 5,000 gallons per month |
| Four people | 4,000 gallons per month |
| Three people | 3,000 gallons per month |
| Two people | 2,000 gallons per month |