Aurora drought limits and a school water-shutoff threat: what residents need to know
Aurora Stage 1 drought rules start immediately: outdoor irrigation is limited to two days weekly and not permitted 10 a.m.–6 p.m., with enforcement escalation.
Aurora’s Stage 1 drought restrictions are in effect effective immediately, and the City is asking residents and businesses to reduce outdoor water use by 20%. The biggest change households will notice is a two-days-per-week irrigation schedule plus a daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. restriction during Stage 1.
What Stage 1 requires for outdoor watering in Aurora
During Stage 1, Aurora Water says the outdoor conservation measures are designed to help residents achieve a 20% reduction in outdoor use. The City’s Stage 1 guidance includes these practical limits:
- Irrigation of high-water-use grass is limited to two days per week.
- Outdoor irrigation is not permitted between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Aurora Water also says hand-watering vegetable or flower gardens is allowed during that window.)
- No new cool-weather turf can be installed.
- Decorative water features are not permitted.
For residents trying to follow the schedule, Aurora Water’s Water Shortage Response Plan spells out the Stage 1 watering days by account type and address number:
- Single-family and duplex, triplex, and fourplex homes: addresses ending in even numbers water Thursdays and Sundays; addresses ending in odd numbers water Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- Multi-family HOAs common areas, nonresidential, and other large unit/multiunit properties: irrigation days are Tuesdays and Fridays.
Also pay attention to timing and waste. Aurora Water’s plan says the time-of-day restriction applies to the time you apply water (not just when an irrigation zone starts). It also prohibits water waste such as excessive runoff, pooling water on hard surfaces, and spraying onto sidewalks, driveways, gutters, streets, or alleys.
How enforcement works (and what “meter shutoff” could mean)
Aurora Water’s enforcement approach is laid out in the Water Shortage Response Plan. In general terms, the plan describes a ladder that starts with warnings and escalates:
- First violation: a warning with no charge.
- Second violation: a notice and charges are assessed (charges for violations are separate from any water shortage surcharges).
- Subsequent violations: the plan describes possible suspension of water service or installation of a flow restrictor.
The plan also contains a more specific “shutoff” pathway for certain irrigation setups. It says continuous flow through irrigation-only meters is prohibited, and irrigation-only meters showing continuous flow after two notifications can be subject to shut off. It also says high-volume continuous flow may result in shutoff prior to customer notification.
The CBS Colorado school dispute and the “meter shutoff” warning
On July 8, CBS Colorado reported that Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman questioned whether Aurora Public Schools is doing enough to conserve water under Stage 1 after seeing how green grass looked at Rangeview High School. The story says the mayor posted on Facebook accusing the district of watering “in defiance of stage one water restrictions,” and it reports that Coffman said the city could shut off the water—specifically by shutting off irrigation meters at schools.
But the CBS story also includes Aurora Water’s response. CBS reports Aurora Water’s deputy director said the outcome is “not very likely,” and that they “wouldn’t want to turn off water to the schools themselves.”
According to the same CBS report, Aurora Public Schools says it has an approved conservation plan that includes reducing water usage by 20% and limiting outdoor watering to two days per week. The story also reports that Aurora Water says the school district is part of a variance program: under that approach, APS may water any day of the week requested, but it still has limits (including how often zones can be watered) and parameters on water usage. CBS reports APS has paid more surcharges rather than receiving fines in the accounts discussed.
For residents, the key takeaway is to read “meter shutoff” as a possibility raised in the reporting—not as a confirmed action that has already happened—because Aurora Water’s enforcement framework includes multiple escalation steps before shutoff actions are triggered.
What residents and parents should do now
- Check your assigned Stage 1 watering days. Aurora’s schedule is tied to account class and address/account rules, not a single one-size-fits-all calendar.
- Program the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. window into your irrigation settings. Non-compliance during peak hours is a common violation trigger.
- Prevent water waste. Overspray, runoff, or pooling can count as waste even if you’re on the right watering days.
- For parents: watch for official updates, not headlines. If there’s follow-up on school compliance, look for communications tied to Aurora Water’s documented enforcement/variance process.
Aurora Water has published the Stage 1 overview page and the Watering Times Restrictions page so residents can confirm both the two-days-per-week schedule logic and the daily daytime restriction window.
Sources
- CBS Colorado — Aurora mayor, schools water restrictions dispute (reported July 8, 2026)
- City of Aurora — Drought (Stage 1 overview page)
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