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Thornton declares Stage 1 drought, limits lawn watering and authorizes rules
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Summary
Thornton City Council voted unanimously to declare a Stage 1 drought and authorized the utilities director to adopt rules asking customers to delay irrigation until May 1 and to water only two days a week afterward; parks and large users must reduce use by 10% from last year.
Thornton’s City Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday declaring a Stage 1 (moderate to severe) drought and gave the utilities director authority to promulgate water-conservation rules.
Interim Utilities and Infrastructure Director Emily Hunt told council the city’s Upper South Platte and Clear Creek watersheds are tracking well below average snowpack, projecting significantly lower spring inflows to reservoirs while warm, dry weather is increasing demand. “This is a double hit — low inflows and high usage,” Hunt said, and staff recommended early action to preserve water supplies for 2027.
The rules staff proposed — and council authorized — include asking customers to avoid irrigating lawns before May 1 and, after that date, limiting residential and commercial irrigation to two days per week with customers able to choose their watering days. Parks, schools and other large users will be required to achieve a 10% reduction from their prior-year water use. The city also will prioritize watering of trees and shrubs and provide outreach and rebate information to help customers meet targets.
Hunt said the city will emphasize education and provide direct mailings with recommended irrigation schedules and rebate information for efficiency measures. She added that the drought management plan the council adopted in 2019 guides threshold decisions and that staff will monitor conditions and adjust rules if a large late-season snowfall changes projections.
Council members praised staff for the proactive approach and requested ongoing public reporting and a public outreach plan to ensure residents are registered for the city’s alerting system. The resolution passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff will implement the outreach campaign, finalize the formal rules under the utilities director’s authority and report back to council as conditions evolve.
