Aurora, CO Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Aurora, CO, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- Waste of water, City Code § 138-190
- Watering schedule set by
- General manager rules under § 138-188
- 1st violation
- Warning only
- Repeat violation, single-family
- $125–$500 civil penalty
- Repeat violation, commercial/irrigation
- Up to $2,000 civil penalty
Summary
Aurora, Colorado doesn't fix watering days in the Code itself: schedules come from rules Aurora Water's general manager publishes under City Code § 138-188, and watering outside those rules is "waste of water" under § 138-190, punishable by warnings, escalating civil penalties, and possible service shutoff.
Waste of water shall be defined as noncompliance with the city's water management plan as defined in section 138-223(b). Notwithstanding the enforcement provisions set forth in subsection (b) of this section, the general manager may order the installation of a flow restricter or the shut off of water service to a property if the general manager reasonably finds that an extreme waste of water is occurring on the premises.
(b) Enforcement. The general manager is hereby authorized to enforce this section. The person billed for water service to a property, whether owner or occupant, shall be responsible for compliance with subsection (a) of this section and shall be subject to the following actions and penalties:
(1) Upon a first violation, the person billed will be issued a warning.
(2) Upon any further violations at the same property within a 12-month period, from the date of the warning notice, the person billed will be issued a written violation and the following penalty will be added to the water bill for the property as a civil penalty. +--------------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------------------+ | | 2nd Violation | 3rd Violation | All Additional Violations | +--------------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------------------+ | Single-Family | $125.00 | $250.00 | $500.00 |
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Aurora City Code § 138-190, "waste of water" means noncompliance with the city's water management plan: rules on allocation, usage restrictions and conservation that the general manager adopts under § 138-188 and § 2-3, not a fixed weekly schedule written into the ordinance itself. A first violation draws only a warning; further violations within 12 months add a civil penalty to the water bill (up to $500 for single-family accounts, $2,000 for multi-family, commercial or irrigation accounts), and the general manager can order a flow restrictor or shut off service for extreme waste. Aurora also requires a lawn permit under § 138-187 before installing or enlarging turf on single-family and duplex lots.
Violations & Fines
First offense: warning only. Repeat violations within 12 months: civil penalty added to the water bill, up to $500 (single-family) or $2,000 (multi-family/commercial/irrigation); extreme waste can trigger a flow restrictor or water shutoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days can I water my lawn in Aurora, CO?
What's the penalty for watering on the wrong day in Aurora?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
How Aurora compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado landscaping rules overview
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