Colorado State Cooperative Extension Heads Up Monthly Online Release of Municipal Water Restrictions, Regulations

The Front Range is already buzzing about the drought continuing into spring and summer and what that will mean for municipal water restrictions. Residents wanting to sort out which restrictions apply to them now have an easy option. Colorado State University Cooperative Extension and Front Range municipal water providers are collaborating to provide a concise, single source of information about current municipal water restrictions and guidelines accessible online at drought.colostate.edu.

The information, available beginning today, outlines current municipal water regulations information for April. The information will be updated the beginning of the third week of each month through at least October. The site includes watering information for people who live in virtually all municipalities along the Front Range from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. The program likely will be expanded to include more cities during the spring and summer.

"This site will help inform the public about water options," said Reagan Waskom, Colorado State Cooperative Extension water specialist. "Last year, the public wasn’t getting one clear message about what restrictions applied to their area and what didn’t, and it was difficult for them to find a single source of information about watering regulations in their area. This Web site is an attempt from municipal utilities to sort that out and provide the public with a good resource. They’re all working together in this unique effort to make things easier for the public."

The site includes specific information about municipalities such as Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, and provides information about watering days, rates, who should water when, and a contact for more information.

The information can be accessed at the Colorado State University drought site, drought.colostate.edu, by clicking on the link "Current Municipal Water Restrictions," located in the box on the top right-hand corner. Additional regular features available at the site include a monthly drought update from the state climatologist, as well as regular landscape tips.