Denver asks restaurants to only serve water by request amid drought conditions

After an unseasonably warm winter, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners has announced mandatory watering restrictions ranging from watering gardens to service in restaurants. As Denver looks to reduce water use by 20% in the next year, the city is asking restaurants to "serve water only upon request."

The new regulations are something restaurant owner Juan Pedro says he understands but wishes he had more notice about ahead of time.

"When the when the city and the state are putting restrictions like that on you, they're doing it for a reason," Pedro 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."

Pedro says he owns more than 20 businesses across Denver that are impacted by these restrictions, including restaurants, coffee shops and bars. This includes his restaurant Magna Kainan in the Rino neighborhood where staff and customers are adapting to water requests instead of automatically having a full glass at their table. Pedro says at some higher-end restaurants he's considering putting bottled water options out for sale on tables as well. Some other Denver restaurants also mentioned that they already ask their tables if they'd like water before filling any glasses as a standard practice.

While Pedro says this shift is something his staff "will need to get used to," he's concerned for how this new policy could impact bar service.

"A place like Sorry Gorgeous, which is a cocktail lounge, we like to put jugs of water out that people can self-serve water and we're going to need to go away from that. And I think that's really important for bars to be able to hydrate people," Pedro said. "I would strongly recommend that the city exempt bars from that. Restaurants, I think, are a little bit more equipped to handle that, coffee shops (too). But really busy bars? You're asking for trouble."

New water restrictions go beyond the glass at a dining table, but extend across the city to include car washes, landscaping and other non-essential activities.

Denver Water spokesperson Todd Hartman says conservation is critical following a winter with historically low snowpack.

"People need to find ways to save water by not using excessive water outside or inside," Hartman said. "We just want to stress how important that is to our customers, because the snowpack is so poor this year."

After what officials describe as the warmest winter in Colorado history, Pedro worries the situation could worsen heading into summer.

"Water is essential to running a restaurant, so it could have a huge impact on us," he said. "You've got to wash dishes, that's a priority for sanitary reasons, and you've got to wash your hands."

Despite the uncertainty, Pedro hopes early conservation efforts will help prevent stricter measures later.

"Everybody needs to be patient," he said. "These businesses are doing their best to comply with what the city and state are asking us to do. I think it's an opportunity for the community to come together and help solve a problem."

The Denver Board of Water Commissioners has put these measures in effect through April 30, 2027. The city of Aurora is also encouraging restaurants to serve water upon request but would only become mandatory if the city votes on further water restrictions.