Greenwood Village CO Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in Greenwood Village, Colorado

Greenwood Village is under Stage 1 Mandatory restrictions declared by Denver Water, limiting outdoor irrigation to 2 assigned days per week through October 1, 2026.

Denver Water declared Stage 1 drought conditions on March 25, 2025, triggering mandatory scheduling for all properties it serves — including Greenwood Village, which falls entirely within Denver Water's service territory. The declaration responded to below-average mountain snowpack feeding the South Platte watershed, reduced storage levels at Dillon Reservoir, and sustained dry conditions across the Front Range.

Colorado's broader drought picture is severe. More than 20 Front Range cities are operating under mandatory irrigation schedules, and the state has classified overall drought conditions at emergency level. Erie is under Level 4 restrictions with all outdoor irrigation prohibited; Eagle River Water and Sanitation District is at Stage 3. Greenwood Village's Stage 1 status is comparatively moderate, but the restrictions are legally enforceable — not voluntary.

Practically, this means a Greenwood Village resident with an odd-numbered address cannot water their lawn on a Wednesday morning — Wednesday and Saturday are the assigned days for odd addresses, but watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. A Wednesday morning session starting at 7 a.m. and finishing before 10 a.m. would be fully compliant. An even-address neighbor is restricted to Sundays and Thursdays under the same hour windows. Violating either the day assignment or the midday blackout period can result in enforcement action by Denver Water.

For current status or account-specific questions, contact Denver Water directly at 303-893-2444 or visit denverwater.org.

Watering schedule and allowed days

Address parity is determined by the last digit of your street number. A home at 6432 S. Yosemite Street is even-addressed and waters on Sundays and Thursdays. A home at 6431 S. Yosemite Street is odd-addressed and waters on Wednesdays and Saturdays. If your address ends in zero, Denver Water classifies it as even. Corner lots with two address options should confirm which address appears on their Denver Water account.

Multi-family residential properties and commercial accounts in Greenwood Village follow the same address-based day assignment. However, commercial accounts with large irrigated areas — such as the office parks along Arapahoe Road and Orchard Road — may have separate meter accounts that were set up with different assigned addresses. Property managers should verify the address on file with Denver Water rather than assuming the street address determines the watering day.

Three tree species widely planted in Greenwood Village deserve priority during your two allotted watering windows: Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), stressed by the dry spring; honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), common in Greenwood Village streetscapes and commercial landscaping; and cottonwood (Populus deltoides), which lines the High Line Canal corridor running through the city. Established trees can absorb deep watering efficiently — slow drip at the drip line during your permitted window is more effective than brief overhead spray, and drip systems are fully exempt from day and hour restrictions under Stage 1.

What happens if you violate restrictions in Greenwood Village?

Denver Water enforces restrictions through a combination of smart meter monitoring, field patrols, and neighbor reports. The utility's advanced metering infrastructure can identify usage patterns inconsistent with assigned watering days, flagging accounts that show consumption spikes on non-scheduled days. Field staff also conduct drive-through patrols in service areas, including Greenwood Village neighborhoods, during peak irrigation hours. Violations observed directly by inspectors result in notices issued to the account on record.

Residents can report suspected violations by calling Denver Water at 303-893-2444 or through the online reporting tool at denverwater.org. Denver Water typically follows up on credible reports within several business days. If you receive a warning or fine you believe was issued in error — for example, if a drip system was misidentified as spray irrigation — you can request a formal review through Denver Water's customer service department. Document your irrigation system type and the time of any cited watering event before contacting them.

Other outdoor water rules

Stage 1 restrictions in Greenwood Village extend beyond lawn irrigation. The following rules apply to all Denver Water customers in the city:

• Car washing: Permitted only with a hose equipped with a self-closing nozzle, or at a commercial car wash that recycles water. Running a hose without a shutoff valve is prohibited regardless of stage level.
• Pressure washing: Allowed for health and safety purposes (mold removal, food-contact surfaces) but not for routine aesthetic cleaning of driveways, patios, or fences. Commercial contractors operating in Greenwood Village should comply with the same standard.
• Pool and spa filling: New pool fills require a Denver Water permit. Topping off to replace evaporation is permitted but should be minimized. Pool covers are strongly recommended to reduce evaporative loss — a significant issue in Colorado's low-humidity, high-altitude climate.
• Decorative fountains: Must be equipped with a recirculating pump. Fountains that discharge water to a drain or waste are prohibited under Stage 1.
• Irrigation of hard surfaces: Prohibited at all times. Sprinkler systems that consistently overspray onto sidewalks, driveways, or streets are a citable violation independent of drought stage.
• Construction water: Dust suppression and concrete curing use must be minimized; contractors should contact Denver Water to discuss compliance for active projects in Greenwood Village.
• Restaurants: Water served to customers only upon request — a statewide Colorado rule that applies in Greenwood Village under drought conditions.

Water source and infrastructure

Greenwood Village's water supply flows through Denver Water's integrated system, which draws from two primary watersheds on the western slope of the Front Range. The majority of the city's supply originates from the South Platte River system, stored at Dillon Reservoir in Summit County — Denver Water's largest reservoir with a capacity of approximately 257,000 acre-feet — and delivered via the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel beneath the Continental Divide.

A second major source is the Blue River, which feeds Dillon Reservoir directly. Denver Water also draws from the Fraser and Williams Fork rivers through trans-mountain diversion infrastructure. On the eastern slope, Cheesman Reservoir and Strontia Springs Reservoir on the South Platte above Waterton Canyon serve as key storage and treatment input points. Water delivered to Greenwood Village is treated at Denver Water's Marston Water Treatment Plant and Foothills Water Treatment Plant, two of the utility's five treatment facilities.

Greenwood Village sits in the Arapahoe County portion of the metro area where Denver Water's distribution network connects with local infrastructure maintained under intergovernmental agreements. The city does not operate its own water utility — residents receive water directly billed through Denver Water accounts, which is why Denver Water's stage declarations apply immediately and uniformly to all Greenwood Village addresses.

Current storage levels at Dillon Reservoir and the broader Denver Water system are the primary trigger metrics for stage escalation. When system-wide storage falls below defined thresholds relative to the time of year, Denver Water advances the restriction stage. Greenwood Village residents can monitor storage levels on the Denver Water website, where the utility posts weekly reservoir storage data.

Brown lawn protections in Colorado

Colorado law protects Greenwood Village homeowners from HOA enforcement actions tied to lawn appearance during mandatory water restrictions. Colorado Revised Statutes § 37-60-126 prohibits a homeowners association from fining or penalizing a resident for brown or dormant grass when the condition results from compliance with water restrictions imposed by the water supplier — in this case, Denver Water's Stage 1 Mandatory restrictions.

This protection applies as long as the lawn's condition is a direct result of following the Stage 1 schedule, not a result of neglecting irrigation on permitted days. Homeowners who receive HOA violation notices related to lawn appearance during the restriction period should respond in writing, citing the statute and the active Denver Water Stage 1 declaration. Keep a copy of any Denver Water correspondence confirming the restriction dates.

Below is a template response you can adapt:

"Dear [HOA Name] Board: I am writing in response to the violation notice dated [date] regarding lawn appearance at [address]. My property is served by Denver Water, which declared Stage 1 Mandatory drought restrictions on March 25, 2025, currently scheduled through October 1, 2026. Under these restrictions, outdoor irrigation is limited to two assigned days per week. Any dormancy or browning of turf at my property is a direct result of complying with Denver Water's mandatory Stage 1 schedule. Colorado Revised Statutes § 37-60-126 prohibits homeowners associations from penalizing residents for lawn conditions caused by compliance with mandatory water restrictions. I respectfully request that this violation notice be withdrawn. Please contact me if you require documentation of the active restriction stage."

Lawn care during restrictions

Greenwood Village sits at roughly 5,800 feet elevation, which changes the math on lawn care compared to lower Front Range cities. UV intensity is higher, humidity is lower, and wind evaporation is significant — meaning a 20-minute irrigation run achieves less at this altitude than the same run at sea level. For Kentucky Bluegrass, which dominates most Greenwood Village residential lawns, raise your mower deck to 3 to 3.5 inches during Stage 1. Taller grass shades the soil, reduces surface evaporation between your two watering days, and tolerates the stress of restricted irrigation better than a close-cut lawn. Avoid fertilizing with high-nitrogen products during drought periods — pushing growth increases water demand the plant cannot meet on a 2-day schedule.

If your lawn has open, south-facing slopes exposed to afternoon sun — common in newer Greenwood Village developments — consider overseeding with Buffalograss or Blue Grama in late spring. Both grasses are native to the Colorado shortgrass prairie, grow actively through the summer at this elevation, and can sustain healthy appearance on Stage 1 allotments without going dormant. Denver Water's Xeriscape Incentive Program offers rebates for turf replacement with low-water alternatives, including native grass blends, at $1.50 per square foot for qualifying conversions — reducing both your water bill and your exposure to future restriction escalations.

Common questions about Greenwood Village water restrictions

What days can I water my lawn at a Greenwood Village address ending in an even number?

Even-numbered addresses in Greenwood Village — for example, 4800 or 7212 — are assigned Sundays and Thursdays. Watering must occur before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on those days. Watering on any other day of the week, or between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on an assigned day, is a violation of Denver Water's Stage 1 Mandatory restrictions.

My address is odd — can I water on a Wednesday morning before work?

Yes, provided you finish before 10 a.m. Odd-numbered Greenwood Village addresses are assigned Wednesdays and Saturdays. An irrigation session that runs from 6 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday is fully compliant. If your system runs past 10 a.m., the portion after 10 a.m. violates the midday prohibition, even though Wednesday is your assigned day.

When do the current Stage 1 restrictions end in Greenwood Village?

Denver Water's current Stage 1 Mandatory restrictions are scheduled to remain in effect through October 1, 2026, unless Denver Water announces an earlier lifting or escalation based on reservoir storage data. Greenwood Village residents should monitor denverwater.org or sign up for Denver Water email alerts to receive notification of any stage changes.

Does Denver Water use smart meters to detect violations in Greenwood Village?

Yes. Denver Water has deployed advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) across its service territory, including Greenwood Village. These meters transmit hourly consumption data, allowing Denver Water to identify accounts showing irrigation-pattern usage on non-assigned days or during the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout window. You do not need a neighbor complaint for a violation to be detected — the meter data alone can trigger an enforcement notice.

What rebates does Denver Water offer for replacing my Greenwood Village lawn?

Denver Water's Xeriscape Incentive Program pays $1.50 per square foot of qualifying turf removed and replaced with water-wise landscaping, including native grasses, drip-irrigated perennials, and mulched planting beds. Projects must be pre-approved before work begins. Denver Water also offers a free Xeriscape demonstration garden at its facility on West 12th Avenue in Denver, open to all customers including those in Greenwood Village. Contact Denver Water at 303-893-2444 to start an application.

Is the High Line Canal trail corridor in Greenwood Village still being irrigated?

The High Line Canal, which runs through eastern Greenwood Village, is managed by Denver Water and the High Line Canal Conservancy under a separate operational framework from residential accounts. Recreational and ecological flows in the canal are subject to Denver Water's overall system management decisions during drought stages, not the residential watering schedule. For current canal water status, contact the High Line Canal Conservancy or Denver Water's operations line directly.

Can I fill or top off my backyard pool in Greenwood Village under Stage 1?

Topping off an existing pool to replace normal evaporation is permitted under Stage 1, but filling a new pool requires a permit from Denver Water. Given Colorado's low relative humidity and Greenwood Village's elevation, pool evaporation rates are meaningfully higher here than at lower-altitude cities — a pool cover can reduce losses by 30–50%, which matters on a 2-day irrigation budget where every gallon of household water use counts toward your account profile.

What happens if Greenwood Village's drought worsens — what does Stage 2 look like?

Under Denver Water's drought response framework, Stage 2 would reduce outdoor irrigation to one day per week for residential customers, with additional restrictions on decorative water features, vehicle washing, and commercial irrigation. Denver Water advances stages based on system-wide storage levels relative to seasonal norms at Dillon Reservoir and across its reservoir portfolio. If storage continues declining through summer 2025, a Stage 2 declaration is possible before the current October 1, 2026 end date. Customers can track reservoir storage weekly at denverwater.org.

What time can I water in Greenwood Village?

Watering is allowed Not 10am-6pm. Watering outside these hours is a violation even on your assigned day.

What are the fines for watering violations in Greenwood Village?

First offense: Written warning. Repeat violations: Escalating fines. Contact Denver Water for the full enforcement schedule.

Can I hand water during Greenwood Village water restrictions?

Yes. Hand watering with a hose fitted with a shut-off nozzle is generally allowed on any day during permitted hours. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are also typically exempt from the day-of-week schedule. Confirm specifics with Denver Water.

How do I report a water waste violation in Greenwood Village?

Contact Denver Water at 303-893-2444 or visit https://denverwater.org. Most utilities accept online reports and respond within 48 hours.