Denver residents are facing a year of mandatory water restrictions as officials move to protect dwindling water supplies following the warmest winter in Colorado’s history.
The measures, which are expected to remain in effect until April 2027, will significantly affect the city’s hospitality sector, with restaurants now required to serve water only upon request.
The Denver Board of Water Commissioners aims to slash the city’s water consumption by 20 percent over the next year to preserve depleted reservoir levels following “unprecedented” climatic conditions.
According to Denver Water, snowpack levels in the Colorado River Basin are currently at 55 percent of the normal average, while the South Platte River Basin has fallen to 42 percent. Officials noted that these figures represent the lowest levels observed in 40 years.
Nathan Elder, Denver Water’s manager of water supply, stated that the collection system is approximately seven to eight feet of snow short of the necessary volume.
“It would take a tremendous amount of snow to recover at this point, so it’s time to turn our attention to preserving what we have,” Elder said in a statement accompanying the drought declaration.
Tyrone Gant, Denver Water president, described the move as a necessary step for the community.
“This is not our first drought, and we will get through this challenging time, but we need everyone to help out this summer in case drought conditions persist into next year and beyond,” Gant said.
Denver Water’s CEO, Alan Salazar, pointed to the record-breaking winter as a clear sign of the climate crisis’s toll on the local water supply.
Local business owners are beginning to navigate the practical realities of the new mandate.
Juan Padró, who owns more than 20 businesses in Denver, told CBS News that while he understands the necessity of the restrictions, he would have preferred more advance notice to adjust operations.
“When the when the city and the state are putting restrictions like that on you, they're doing it for a reason,” Padró said. “This isn't a huge change in behavior for us, it's just a problem that we're going to need to solve and we're in the problem solving business.”
At his restaurant Magna Kainan, staff are already adapting to the change, and Padró is considering offering bottled water for sale at higher-end establishments to manage the transition.
However, Padró expressed specific concern regarding the effect on bars and cocktail lounges, such as his venue Sorry Gorgeous. He told CBS News that such establishments often rely on self-serve water stations to keep patrons hydrated, a practice that must now cease. He suggested that while restaurants and coffee shops are equipped to handle the shift, busy bars may face safety challenges.
“I think that's really important for bars to be able to hydrate people,” Padró said. “I would strongly recommend that the city exempt bars from that.”
Beyond the hospitality industry, the restrictions impose a strict schedule for outdoor irrigation.
Residential properties with even-numbered addresses are permitted to water only on Sundays and Thursdays, while odd-numbered addresses are restricted to Wednesdays and Saturdays. All other entities, including commercial and government properties, are limited to Tuesdays and Fridays.
As of late March, Denver’s reservoir storage stood at 80 percent capacity, slightly below the seasonal average of 85 percent.
To ensure compliance, Denver Water is developing enforcement plans and considering temporary drought pricing. This would involve a premium on high-volume outdoor water use while maintaining standard rates for essential indoor needs such as cooking and bathing.
City officials in nearby Aurora are encouraging similar water-upon-request policies, though they have yet to make them mandatory.
For now, Denver authorities are urging homeowners to consider long-term landscape changes, such as replacing traditional lawns with drought-resistant plants, to better adapt to Colorado’s increasingly arid climate.
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