Water Restrictions

Water Restrictions Summary

April 2026

The Situation

Colorado's snowpack — the source of roughly 90% of Denver Water's supply — currently stands at record-low levels. The South Platte River Basin is at 4% of normal, the worst on record, and reservoirs are at 80% capacity against a seasonal average of 85%. This follows Colorado's warmest winter in recorded state history, producing one of the worst snowpacks on record.

City and County of Broomfield 

Drought Watch — Voluntary (so far)

Broomfield has its own independent water system and makes its own drought declarations regardless of what Denver Water does. As of the most recent update on the official city website, Broomfield is under a Drought Watch, which is declared by staff (not City Council) and calls for voluntary water use reductions. 

What this means in practice:

• Even without a drought declaration, Broomfield's Water Use Ordinance (in effect since January 2025) requires all residents to water lawns no more than three times per week and only between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. Addresses ending in even numbers may water on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; odd numbers on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. 

• Under the Drought Watch, residents are asked to voluntarily keep sprinklers off until May 1, and to water gardens, trees, and shrubs during cooler hours of the day to minimize evaporation. 

• Broomfield City Council has also approved a new irrigation code requiring repairs to damaged sprinkler systems within 10 days. 

Broomfield has not (as of this writing) declared a formal mandatory Drought Condition I, II, or III. The HOA falls under Broomfield's water system, not Denver Water. Some third-party websites are incorrectly stating that Broomfield is under the same mandatory Stage 1 rules as Denver, but this is not so. See broomfield.org/4249 for official current status.

On tree-watering specifically: The City and County of Broomfield explicitly recognizes the importance of responsible winter and dry-period watering to preserve trees and long-term landscape health. Guidance from Broomfield's Forestry team and CSU Extension supports limited, targeted watering during dry periods, calling it good stewardship. 

In Denver

Denver Water (Stage 1 Mandatory — effective March 25, 2026)

Denver Water enacted mandatory watering restrictions on March 25 for the first time in more than a decade. The limits affect 1.5 million customers in Denver and surrounding suburbs, with a goal of reducing water usage by 20% and preventing stricter rules later in the year.

Key rules:

• Single-family residential properties may water two days per week only on a set schedule: addresses ending in even numbers water on Sunday and Thursday; odd-numbered addresses water on Wednesday and Saturday. All other customers — including multifamily properties, commercial properties, homeowners associations, and government properties — may water only on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

• Watering is forbidden between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

• Violators could face fines of $250 or more. 

• Denver Water has also implemented temporary drought pricing — the first time it has done so since the 2002–2004 drought. 

• The restrictions are effective through April 30, 2027.

On hand-watering trees: Drip irrigation and hand watering are allowed for trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and vegetables, but not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. In fact, Denver Water is actively encouraging it: customers are urged not to turn on automatic sprinkler systems until at least mid- to late-May, and the agency explicitly says that occasional hand-watering may be necessary for trees and shrubs during this time. 

Colorado Statewide Context

There is no single statewide watering mandate in Colorado — drought response is handled municipality by municipality. The State of Colorado has activated its drought task force for the first time since 2020, and roughly one-third of Colorado is currently experiencing "severe drought" (D2) or higher. Conditions vary significantly: Denver is among Front Range cities including Aurora, Castle Rock, and Thornton that have some form of watering restrictions in place, while Boulder and Fort Collins were still deciding as of early April whether to enact restrictions.