Stage Two Water Shortage Restrictions

A Stage Two Water Shortage is designed to incur a 10% to 15% reduction in system wide water use and 15% to 25% reduction of outdoor water use. 

On August 12th, 2025, City Council approved Stage Two Water Shortage and adopted the following mandatory restrictions which went into effect on September 1st, 2025:

1. Watering of any lawn, garden, landscaped area, tree, shrub, or other plant shall be prohibited from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Additionally, limits from Stage One (e.g. odd-even watering schedule) will move from voluntary to mandatory. The mandatory irrigation schedule can be found in the 'Mandatory Irrigation Schedule' tab. 
2. Limited washing of sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios, or other paved areas must follow the mandatory watering schedule based on property address and outside the hours of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
3. There shall be no refilling of single-family residential swimming pools with water furnished by the City. 
4. Public education materials shall be provided to encourage efficient use of the available water supply and water conservation measures. 
5. Upon declaration of Stage Two Water Shortage, increases in water rates for tiers three (3) and four (4) shall be imposed as mandated by the City of Aspen City Manager up to the maximum rates defined in Section 25.28.050, please see the Utility Billing webpage for more information.

Entire City of Aspen Water Shortage Code Information

Mandatory Irrigation Schedule

Effective September 1st, 2025, this mandatory irrigation schedule will require any person or entity using water from the City water system or any system connected thereto to adhere to the following schedule.

1. There shall be no irrigation or outdoor water use between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. 
2. Customers whose property address (base number) ends in an odd number can only irrigate outdoors on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
3. Customers whose property address (base number) ends in an even number (including 0) can only irrigate outdoors on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
4. No outside irrigation shall be allowed on Mondays.

For example, someone living at 1111 Waterwise Lane is on the odd address irrigation schedule. This means they can only irrigate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between the hours of 12:00 AM and 9:00 AM and/or between the hours of 6:00 PM and 11:59 PM.

For more information see the City of Aspen Municipal Code Section 25.28.021.

City of Aspen Offered Programs

The Utilities Department offers several programs to help reduce water use and water waste. For more information, please visit the Water Efficiency and Conservation webpage.

Top 11 Outdoor Water Saving Tips

1. Water your lawn in the early morning or evening to minimize evaporation.
2. Spread a layer of organic mulch around plants to help them retain moisture.
3. Look into smart xeriscape landscaping and group plants according to their watering needs.
4. Follow the mandatory Stage 2 Water Shortage irrigation schedule. 
5. Adjust your sprinklers so it only waters lawn not sidewalk, street, or driveway.
6. Adjust your lawn mover to the height of 1.5-2 inches.Longer grass will allow soil to retain more moisture.
7. Check your sprinkler system frequently for leaks. 
8. Use compost in your garden to add water-holding organic matter. 
9. Leave lawn clippings on your grass to cool the ground and hold moisture.
10. Weed your lawn and garden frequently. Weeds compete with other plants for water. 
11. Learn how to shut off your automatic watering system in case of malfunctions or rain. 

Top 11 Indoor Water Saving Tips

1. Use an energy star dishwasher (if you have one) instead of washing by hand and only run the dishwasher when it's fully loaded.
2. Insulate hot water pipes to help water heat faster.
3. Garbage disposals use a lot of water to operate, so try to use them sparingly. Consider composting instead!
4. Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean. 
5. Match the water level to the size of your laundry load. 
6. Wash dark clothes in cold water to save water and energy. 
7. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and save up to 150 gallons per month!
8. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. 
9. Throw tissues in the trash instead of flushing them. 
10. Use excess water from waiting for the shower to heat up by washing veggies or watering plants. 
11. Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. See our instructions to sign up for our automatic metering system to track your hourly water use!

More Water Saving Resources:

Water Use It Wisely's 100+ Water-Saving Tips

Express Sewer's Ultimate List of Water Saving Tips

Eartheasy's 45+ Ways to Conserve Water in the Home and Yard

Home Water Works' Water Saving and Conservation Tips

WaterSense's Water-Smart Landscapes

Helpful Drought Links:

Colorado Drought Monitor 

Roaring Fork Conservancy - For streamflows and snowpack

Local Drought Information

National Water and Climate Center SNOTEL

Colorado Drought Response Portal 

Colorado State University- Drought FAQ

Western Water Assessment- Intermountain West Climate Dashboard

Colorado Basin River Forecast

National Weather Service Grand Junction

NRCS Snow Survey Colorado

A drought is defined as "a period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged for the lack of water to cause serious hydrologic imbalance in the affected area." -Glossary of Meteorology (1959).

In easier to understand terms, a drought is a period of unusually persistent dry weather that persists long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages. The severity of the drought depends upon the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration, and the size of the affected area.

There are actually four different ways that drought can be defined.

1. Meteorological - a measure of departure of precipitation from normal. Due to climatic differences, what might be considered a drought in one location of the country may not be a drought in another location.
2. Agricultural - refers to a situation where the amount of moisture in the soil no longer meets the needs of a particular crop.
3. Hydrological - occurs when surface and subsurface water supplies are below normal.
4. Socioeconomic - refers to the situation that occurs when physical water shortages begin to affect people.