Colorado Springs Utilities is asking customers to follow the same water rules that are always in place for the summer to avoid future water restrictions.

There are six Water Wise Rules the municipal utility enacts for outdoor gardening and cleaning in Colorado Springs. One of the rules goes into effect May 1, allowing for outdoor watering only before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. Utilities also recommends watering between one and the maximum three days a week during the peak months of the summer.

Utilities reservoirs are reportedly receiving about half the amount of new water that usually comes from the snowpack. The water stored in Utilities’ reservoirs meant the system still had enough supply for Colorado Springs to not issue the escalated water restrictions that cities like Denver, Aurora and Manitou Springs have enacted after an unusually dry winter season.

“We are relying on our stored supplies primarily this year and we have to be very good stewards of those supplies. Our customers are already doing a really good job of that, so we are just asking them to consider some additional ways,” Utilities spokesperson Jennifer Jordan said.

The Colorado Springs Water Shortage Ordinance specifies that the City Council (who also serve as the Utilities Board) can declare a water shortage based on the amount of water available on April 1. If the stored water supply in Colorado Springs Utilities’ system would last for less than a year and a half, then the council can impose additional water restrictions.

The reservoir system had around three years of storage built up as of late March, which led the Utilities Board to enact a water shortage preparation but not any additional restrictions.

Jordan said that the system of 25 reservoirs, spread across different parts of Colorado, gave Utilities enough storage space and backups to solidify its water supply. Colorado Springs Utilities is currently not consolidating water supply, which Denver Water will begin doing in coming weeks by emptying Antero Reservoir into Cheesman Reservoir.

The last time Colorado Springs triggered further restrictions was in 2013, after Utilities used its reservoir water to get through the 2012 drought and needed to recover storage. Jordan said that Utilities would monitor water levels this summer to see if there would be a similar situation.

Water conservation leader Lisa Pace spoke about the water rules in front of faux lawns in the demonstration gardens at Utilities’ Conservation and Environmental Center Tuesday morning. One lawn grew sage, a Miss Kim lilac bush and patches of switchgrass in front of a metal outline of a house.

Other lawns fire off sprinklers to water the small patches of grass. When the time-of-day water rule takes effect, Pace said residents should pick either the morning or evening to water and run the sprinkler or hose in short bursts.

“You want to create this cycle and soak pattern, so the roots draw the water deep. We want to reduce the amount of water that just sits on top and evaporates away,” Pace said.

Manitou Springs enacted water restrictions on April 10 that placed similar limits on the time and frequency for outdoor watering. Manitou Springs issues a minimum fine of $100 for violations of its restrictions. Pace said that Utilities can issue fines for violating water rules but prefers to focus on educating residents.

One source of education are the Coffee & Conservation meetings on the first Saturday of the month beginning May 2, where Pace and other Utilities staff use the demonstration gardens to provide tips on creating a healthy, water-conscious lawn.

The garden staff promotes the switch to native plants and low-water species instead of converting to artificial turf, which Pace said can create heat islands and cost more to maintain.

“We understand that is another way to reduce water but long-term, that’s not in the best interest for our community,” Pace said.

u003ca href=u0022https://gazettedev.gazette.com/2026/03/18/colorado-springs-utilities-board-approves-drought-resolution-as-conditions-worsen/u0022u003eColorado Springs Utilities Board approves drought resolution as conditions worsen – Colorado Springs Gazetteu003c/au003e: Colorado Springs Utilities emphasizes cautious water use, not restrictions

Six Water Wise Rules in Colorado Springs

• Between May 1 and Oct. 15, water outdoors before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Water at most three days a week during peak summer months
• Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle when watering
• Fix any leaks to your sprinkler system within 10 days
• Only clean hard surfaces like driveways with water if there is a public health concern
• Do not let water pool and stay on hard surfaces or gutters

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected with the date of the first Coffee & Conservation meeting.