In what has become an annual rite of spring, the Denver Water Board has announced this year's summer watering rules. They're pretty lax, a sign that the Board believes the drought has eased up (and that they won't mind the extra revenue from increased usage). The only mandatory ban is on watering between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., the time of maximum evaporation loss. Beyond that, the Board is asking people to voluntarily restrict watering to every other day (using the odd and even street address calendar) and limit watering to 20 minutes per "zone" for people who have sprinkler systems.
This year's rules seem too lax for me. Antero Reservoir is still practically empty, yet the message from Denver Water seems to be that the drought is over: their manager of conservation describes this year's plan as part of a transition from the drought to a "long term aggressive conservation program." (The complete survey of reservoir capacity can be viewed here.) I don't see how Denver Water could be any less aggressive than they are being this year without going to no restrictions whatsoever.
I don't think the current pattern of water use on the Front Range is sustainable, and the culprit is the Kentucky Bluegrass lawns people want (and some homeowners' associations require). What I would call an aggressive long term program would involve weaning homeowners and the lawn maintenance industry off of bluegrass and toward drought resistant strains like fescue. They are doing some of that but it should be something that gets highlighted every time a Denver Water representative gets in front of the media.
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