AURORA | Aurora city lawmakers ramped up outdoor watering and lawn restrictions Monday, essentially banning most outdoor irrigation from October to May, this year and going forward.
Aurora City Council members unanimously passed measures that essentially bans planting new so-called “cool weather” lawns, such as fescue or Kentucky bluegrass, bans new outdoor water features like fountains, and further limits irrigation.
“Not only are we in a short-term water crisis, we have a bit of a long-term water supply challenge,” Aurora Water General Manager Greg Marshall told lawmakers Monday as they considered the new restrictions. “We’re looking at ways to become more efficient with water in the community.”
As of Oct. 1, the city will ban residential and commercial grass irrigation, extending the ban-date until Oct. 15 for grassy areas still heavily utilized, such as sports fields.
The outdoor watering ban will remain in effect until April 30.
Marshall said early watering of lawns began in February this year and increased the heavy draw on diminished city water supplies as the effects of the regional drought persisted.
At the same meeting, city lawmakers banned the use of large-scale evaporative cooling in industrial and commercial buildings, citing those systems’ heavy draw on the public water storage system.
Enhanced grass and water feature bans affect only new installations, officials said. The outdoor watering restrictions affect all water users in the city.
“Water features” do not include swimming pools, but they do include any kind of ornamental features, such as a fountain or pond.
For new lawns, the city previously allowed small parts of residential back yards to install relatively thirsty “cool weather” lawns such as Kentucky Blue Grass. Those lawns are now prohibited in all new residential developments. Instead, the city requires planting lawns from grasses such as Tahoma 31 and so-called “dog turf.”
City water officials say the “warm weather” grasses use up to 70% less water than do grasses such as typical bluegrass and fescue.
In Aurora, water customers remain under existing Stage 1 drought restrictions. Those rules limit outdoor watering to two days per week and prohibit watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Officials encouraged residents to continue conserving water and follow existing watering restrictions. State officials said Colorado recorded its lowest snowpack accumulation season on record this year. The current water year, which began in October 2025, has also been the warmest on record in Colorado, contributing to early snowmelt, low river flows, diminished soil moisture and elevated wildfire risk.
Aurora Water Restrictions highlights
• Outdoor watering is limited to two days per week on assigned days. Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Water schedules for Aurora addresses is at www.AuroraGov.org/drought
• Drought surcharges of $2.15 per 1,000 gallons will apply to water use above 110% of a customer’s winter quarter average, after normal “tiered rates” are applied.
• No fountains or other outdoor water features.
• Water at restaurants is only served by request.
• Report water restriction violations and waste at AuroraGov.org/ContactUs