By Sohaib Shams
Denver officials have proposed a 15-person lawn patrol to enforce water restrictions as the city grapples with a worsening drought driven by record-low mountain snowpack and high temperatures.
Patrol Details and Enforcement Goals
The Denver Board of Water Commissioners received a staff proposal this week for a patrol that would conduct an estimated 2,500 to 3,500 stops or violations per month next summer. The board must still vote to approve the plan, which aims to demonstrate that Denver Water is enforcing its rules.
Drought Conditions and Existing Restrictions
Last March, the board declared a Stage 1 drought, targeting a 20 percent reduction in water use by the end of April 2027. At that time, reservoirs were 80 percent full, below the historic median. Approved rules limit lawn watering to two days per week, require car washing with a bucket or a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, and restrict power washing to assigned watering days.
Total Lawn Watering Ban and Fines
At the start of October, the city banned lawn watering altogether. Violations carry fines up to $2,000 and possible water shutoff. Between October 1 and 18, Denver Water issued 448 fines totaling $265,000.
Reservoir Levels Reveal Severity
The drought's severity is visible at Dillon Reservoir, which is only 58 percent full. The low water level has exposed a stretch of old U.S. Highway 6 that has been underwater for about 60 years.
