As the summer watering season comes to an end, so does a time of higher monthly water bills among customers who helped their lawns and landscapes endure the heat.

And the heat was on this year!

As of Oct. 1, the U.S. Drought Monitor considered more than 99% of Colorado to be in some level of drought. Long-range forecasts indicate the hot, dry weather pattern the state experienced throughout the summer could continue into this fall and winter.

Fortunately, heading into this summer Denver Water’s reservoirs were able to capture and store enough water for the 1.5 million people who rely on the utility every day.

But the hot and dry streak has been concerning, especially as we head into the colder and wetter seasons — a critical time for Denver’s water supply that starts as winter’s snow.

This is why Denver Water’s supply and drought experts are meeting regularly, keeping a close watch on weather forecasts, drought levels and soil conditions in the state’s mountains and preparing for what those factors might mean for the metro area in 2021.

You can prepare too.

Fall is always a good time to think about how you used your lawn and landscape last summer — and what changes you may want to make to be more water efficient.

You can start by identifying areas of your lawn that you only visited to mow or water.

Think about making meaningful upgrades to those areas.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Garden In A Box offers professionally designed, water-wise garden kits tailor-made for Colorado yards. Learn more at ResourceCentral.org/gardens.
• A tree can help provide shade to your yard. Native flowers or shrubs use less water than grass, and vegetable gardens can grow food for the table.
• Consider expanding your patio space with pea gravel and stones that allow water to flow through and reach the soil below.
• Don’t simply rip out the grass and replace it with rock. Living plants are important. They provide shade, help hold the soil in place and cool the environment.

And sign up for Denver Water’s monthly, summertime personalized water-use reports to learn more about your individual water use during the outdoor watering season.

To sign up, call Denver Water’s Customer Care at 303-893-2444 to update your Denver Water account with your email address.

Colorado’s dry climate means we all need to do our part to ensure adequate water supplies will be available well into the future.

For more information about rebates and water efficiency tips inside and outside the home, visit denverwater.org/BestPractices.