For Immediate Release
PUEBLO WEST, Colo. — The Pueblo West Metropolitan District Water and Wastewater Department announced Pueblo West will remain in Stage One Voluntary Water Restrictions in 2023.
“We will be one of many communities on the Colorado front range to be on some form of water restrictions,” Pueblo West Utilities Director Jim Blasing said. “However, if residents make small changes to their water usage habits, they can save money on their water bills as well as limit how long we will be in water restriction status in Pueblo West.”
Pueblo West has been in Stage One Voluntary Water Restrictions since 2021 due to low snowpack on Colorado’s western slope, which is the source of more than 90% of Pueblo West’s water supply. Severe drought conditions over the past two decades have impacted hundreds of communities in the southwestern United States, and Pueblo West is one of many communities enacting some form of water restrictions.
Stage One Voluntary Water Restrictions are triggered when a community’s two-year water storage levels fall below 90%. If storage levels fall to 80%, Stage 2 mandatory water restrictions are enacted.
“Everyone wants to avoid mandatory water restrictions,” Blasing said. “Since demand for water is highest during the summer months due in large part to residential outdoor watering, changing watering habits is the most effective way to conserve water. This is as simple as adjusting the controller for your sprinkler system at the beginning of the irrigation season.”
Have a healthier lawn by using less water, which saves money
As part of Stage One Voluntary Water Restrictions, residents are asked to water their lawns twice per week and only between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
Using the “cycle and soak” method, which applies water in multiple, short cycles instead of one longer cycle, allows lawns to absorb water more effectively, promoting deeper roots and healthier grass. It also reduces the amount of water that is evaporated from the surface of your lawn, which occurs when water pools on the surface of your grass after a long watering cycle.
Using the “cycle and soak” method is why your lawn will be healthier even though it’s only getting watered twice per week. By setting your sprinkler system controller once at the beginning of the season, you’ll see a healthier lawn despite using less water.
Instead of watering a single zone for 15 minutes, set your sprinkler system controller to do the following:
- Water only two days per week.
- On those days, set your system to water each zone in three five-minute cycles.
- Allow one hour between each cycle.
Stage One Voluntary Water Restrictions dos and don’ts:
Do…
- Water only two days per week,
- Watering is not allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Use the “cycle and soak” method.
- Continue using a handheld garden hose with a shut-off nozzle, soaker hose, or a drip system to water plants, shrubs, trees and gardens.
- Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days.
- Report any water waste to the Pueblo West Water Department at 719-547-3554 or water@pwmd-co.us.
Don’t…
- Run sprinklers while it is raining or during high winds
- Run sprinklers after a large rainstorm.
- Use water for non-essential purposes.
- Waste water by spraying concrete, asphalt, or letting it flow down the road.
About the Pueblo West Metropolitan District:
The Pueblo West Metropolitan District serves approximately 33,000 citizens living in a 50-square-mile unincorporated portion of Pueblo County located approximately eight miles west of the City of Pueblo. Unlike municipalities, Pueblo West is a special district that is authorized to provide four services to residents – limited covenant enforcement, fire protection, parks and recreation, and water and wastewater utilities.
The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors who are elected by registered voters consisting of Pueblo West residents and property owners.
