Erie officials on Friday told residents to hit pause on lawn season, ordering automatic sprinklers kept off after an unusually warm stretch pushed water demand nearly 30% higher than normal for this time of year. The town warned it may turn off water at property taps, including full household shutoffs for individual homes, if homeowners, HOAs or businesses refuse to play along.
The emergency move is about keeping treated drinking water available and fire hydrants charged as forecasters expect windy conditions that could raise fire danger.
According to the Town of Erie, residents are being asked to keep irrigation systems off through the end of March so there is enough water for indoor use and emergencies. The alert says staff will be monitoring irrigation use and may shut off irrigation for large HOAs or cut service to entire homes when properties do not comply.
"This is an extraordinary measure for an extremely precarious situation," the town wrote, noting that winter water use averages about 2 million gallons per day while system delivery capacity is roughly 3.5 million gallons per day. The Town of Erie drought page says early sprinkler starts have been increasing demand by roughly 200,000 to 300,000 gallons per day and that summer irrigation can push demand to about 11 million gallons per day.
When residents can start watering
The town is asking people to hold off until April at the earliest. Even-numbered addresses are asked not to start before April 4, and odd-numbered addresses not before April 6. As reported by Denver7, parks may still be irrigated because they use nonpotable water, and residents can call 303-926-2701 for updates.
Why Erie moved early
Town officials are stressing that this is a timing problem rather than a population problem. Regional reservoir managers often hold more water over winter to support wildlife and system operations, so when sprinklers across town flip on too early, that winter allocation can get overwhelmed in a hurry.
Long-term storage projects are in the works, including those described in reporting by KUNC on the Northern Integrated Supply Project, but those will not help with the immediate early-season shortfalls Erie is wrestling with now.
For the moment, the town says hand-watering trees, shrubs and gardens is allowed, but it is warning residents not to set up a hose or sprinkler and walk away. People with smart meters can also monitor household usage to avoid accidental spikes.
Erie officials say they will reassess conditions before any broader watering resumes and are reminding residents to keep an eye on the town's drought page for the latest notices and curtailment details.
