Some Denver Water users feel restrictions are creating division among neighbors

Care more, water less - that's what Denver Water says it's asking of its customers. Now, some residents believe these restrictions could have unintended consequences. 

"We'll take every rain we can get," said Greg Fisher, Denver Water's manager of demand planning. 'It really does help reduce use, but it's not improving our reservoir levels."

Denver Water says its supply reservoirs are 22% lower than the historic median for this time of year - prompting its board to approve an additional measure to conserve water.

"The end of lawn watering season for Denver Water starts on Oct. 1," explained Fisher in a press conference Wednesday morning. "What that means is that customers won't be able to water grass after Oct. 1, nor use spray irrigation."

Although there will be exemptions for high-traffic areas such as sports fields and parks, this new restriction comes after Denver Water already asked its customers to reduce water use by 20% during this summer's drought and even launched a portal for people to report their neighbors for overuse.

"People see something, and they make an assumption, and they're irritated, and they make a report," said Denver Water customer Dana Busch. "I understand why all that's happening, and yet it's unfortunate because I think that we're continuing to create more division."

Busch believes that has facilitated tension amongst neighbors, one of several unintended consequences of these restrictions.

"I know some people who have, you know, chosen to be really extreme and not do any watering," said Busch. "Does someone walking by that property carelessly discard a cigarette butt or something? I just think that there's more vulnerability for that."

Busch also has concerns for her own yard. Drip systems are allowed past the Oct. 1 cutoff, but spray irrigation is not. Some people who have irrigation systems like hers have watering zones that include both.

"It's complicated," she said.

And although she recognizes the need to cut back, she wishes leaders would explore different solutions to conserve.

"I would like to see some other creative solutions that perhaps Denver Water or city residents could be coming up with, you know, why aren't we having a rain barrel program or something like that?"

Denver Water says the lawn watering ban remains in effect until the board determines how and when lawn watering can resume.