Arvada City Council hit pause on a heated debate over drought surcharges, voting 6-1 on Tuesday to push a final decision to Aug. 18. The delay puts off what had been a plan to roll out temporary fees as early as this summer and buys councilmembers more time to hear from residents and drill into how bills would change. Councilmember Shawna Ambrose cast the lone no vote, arguing the city should move more quickly.
The ordinance on the table would set up tiered drought surcharges for heavy outdoor water use. Single-family customers would still get 12,000 gallons every two months at the regular rate, but anything from 12,001 to 30,000 gallons would be hit with a $1.10 charge per 1,000 gallons, and usage above 30,000 gallons would cost an extra $2.20 per 1,000 gallons. Staff had proposed starting the fees on July 1 and keeping them in place until drought restrictions are lifted. Councilmember Bob Fifer moved to continue the hearing so staff could widen public outreach, according to reporting from the Arvada Press.
Denver Water Wrote The Playbook
Arvada’s plan closely tracks the temporary drought pricing that went into effect earlier this spring at Denver Water, which tacked on $1.10 and $2.20 drought charges to higher tiers of outdoor use on top of existing rates. Denver Water and its board have said the pricing is designed to curb discretionary irrigation and stretch limited supplies, with the new costs applying to water used in May and showing up on June bills. For a deeper dive into the rollout, see coverage from Denverite.
Council Split And Outreach Questions
Councilmembers said the continuance gives the city a chance to step up public engagement and for staff to return with clearer sample bills that show how different households and customer types would be affected. Councilmember Sharon Davis urged Arvada to mirror Denver Water’s aggressive outreach efforts, so residents are not blindsided when bills change. Councilmember Chris Gray told reporters that “the drought surcharge is one piece of that effort to encourage outdoor conservation,” a comment carried in local coverage. The council ultimately voted 6-1 to continue the hearing to Aug. 18, with Ambrose again standing alone in opposition, as reported by the Arvada Press.
What Households Need To Know
Arvada is currently under a Stage 1 drought declaration and enforces a two-day-per-week, address-based watering schedule, along with a 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. no-watering window for outdoor irrigation. The city’s rules use a stepped enforcement system that starts with warnings and can escalate to fines for repeat violations, according to the City of Arvada. If the surcharge plan is approved, the extra drought fee would show up as its own line item on customer bills for as long as the drought pricing is in effect.
With the council set to revisit the ordinance on Aug. 18, staff is expected to return with a more detailed outreach strategy and estimates of billing impacts across different customer groups before a final up-or-down vote. In the meantime, Denver Water and other regional utilities are continuing to urge residents to cut back on nonessential outdoor watering to avoid surcharges and help protect the shared supply. The delay gives Arvada residents extra time to weigh in, and it gives city officials a chance to sharpen their outreach and enforcement plans ahead of what they warn could be an unusually dry summer.
