Aurora City Council may approve a resolution Monday that will allow for Stage 1 water restrictions to go into effect. <\/p>\n
AURORA, Colo. \u2014 Water managers across Colorado are raising concerns about dwindling supplies as unseasonably warm temperatures and low snowpack continue to strain resources, prompting new restrictions in multiple communities.<\/p>\n
The Aurora Water Policy Committee<\/a> met Wednesday to discuss the state of the water supply. Aurora Water said\u00a0reservoir storage is at 58% capacity,<\/a> signaling potential challenges ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not in a good situation,\u201d water resource project manager John Murphy said.<\/p>\n Officials warned that without significant improvement, conditions could worsen.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur water supply situation is bleak enough that if things don\u2019t improve and we don\u2019t get the community response we need during a Stage 1 restriction, the forecasts indicate we may be in a Stage 2 restriction by the end of the year, which would be really dramatic,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cNone of us want to go there, but that\u2019s how bleak our water supply situation is.\u201d<\/p>\n Aurora plans to implement strict Stage 1 water restrictions pending City Council approval.<\/a> The rules would limit sprinkler use to two days per week, with escalating enforcement.<\/p>\n If approved, restrictions would go into place April 7.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year we\u2019re planning on strict enforcement, meaning one warning,” Aurora Water General Manager Marshall Brown said. “Number two violation is a fine of, I think, $250. Third violation is a $1,000 fine. So this ramps up pretty quickly and steeply. We\u2019ll have the communication, but if people are not responsible and don\u2019t adjust, they will be fined.\u201d<\/p>\n City-managed landscapes will also be affected.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAll the grass in the city, that the city manages, needs to show the stress of less water,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n Other Front Range communities are taking similar steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erie is asking residents, businesses and HOAs to stop using sprinklers until April 4,<\/a> citing limited winter water supply. Officials warned noncompliance could result in water taps being shut off.<\/p>\n Denver Water is also expected to enact Stage 1 drought restrictions this week, urging residents to delay turning on irrigation systems.<\/a><\/p>\n