Arvada Water Restrictions 2026: Watering Days by Address

Last updated: April 10, 2026 · Verify current status at arvada.org

How to Find Your Watering Days

Your assigned watering days are based on the last digit of your street address number — the number on your house, not your unit number if you're in a complex.

• Address ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 (even): You water on Sunday and Thursday
• Address ends in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 (odd): You water on Wednesday and Saturday
• Multifamily, commercial, HOA common areas: Tuesday and Friday only

This is the same schedule Denver Water uses across its service area. Arvada aligns with Denver Water's framework but administers its own enforcement — Arvada declared its own drought on March 24, slightly ahead of Denver Water's March 25 declaration.

No-Watering Hours

No outdoor watering between 10am and 6pm — even on your assigned days. This applies to lawn irrigation systems, hose-end sprinklers, and above-ground sprayers. It does not apply to hand watering of trees, shrubs, or vegetable gardens with a handheld hose or drip system (see below).

Watering during mid-day heat loses a significant portion of water to evaporation before it reaches the soil. The restriction enforces what any irrigation professional would recommend anyway. Early morning — starting just after 6pm the night before and running through the morning — is the most efficient window.

What's Still Allowed Any Day

Stage 1 does not restrict everything. The following are permitted regardless of your assigned watering days:

• Hand watering trees and shrubs with a handheld hose (with a shutoff nozzle) or a drip system — any day, outside the 10am–6pm window
• Drip irrigation on vegetable gardens and planting beds — any day outside no-watering hours
• Watering newly installed plants — check with Arvada utilities, as some utilities allow exceptions for establishment watering during the first 30 days after planting

The key restriction targets automated lawn irrigation systems. If you're hand-watering a tree or drip-irrigating a raised bed, you are not under the same two-day limit as your lawn.

Standard Rules That Apply Year-Round

These rules are in effect regardless of drought stage and carry fines independently:

• Do not allow water to pool in gutters, streets, or alleys
• Do not let sprinklers spray onto concrete, pavement, or structures
• Repair leaking or broken sprinkler heads within 10 days
• Do not irrigate during or immediately after rain
• Do not irrigate during high winds
• Use a hose with a shutoff valve when washing vehicles

Fines and Enforcement

Arvada aligns with Denver Water's enforcement framework. Violators can face fines of $250 or more for watering outside assigned days or during prohibited hours. Denver Water has indicated it is developing new enforcement plans for 2026 and is taking compliance seriously given the severity of the drought.

First-time violations typically result in a warning. Repeat violations escalate to fines and, in extreme cases, reduced water flow or shutoff. Enforcement is handled through both utility inspections and neighbor complaints.

Should You Keep Automatic Sprinklers Off Until May?

Yes — and Arvada water managers are explicitly asking this. Even though Stage 1 restrictions allow watering two days per week starting April 15, it is not necessary to water lawns in April at all. Colorado soil still holds winter moisture in April, grass hasn't fully broken dormancy yet, and there is meaningful freeze risk through the first week of May on average in the Denver metro.

Turning on automatic systems in April wastes one of your two weekly watering days on a lawn that doesn't need it yet and increases the risk of wasting water to evaporation in an already-stressed supply year. Denver Water, Arvada, and every other Front Range utility are saying the same thing: keep automated sprinkler systems off until mid-to-late May.

If you want to hand-water trees or shrubs that look stressed during a dry April stretch, that's fine — and smart. Trees are the hardest to replace if they die from drought stress, and a few gallons by hand every week or two keeps them in good shape without triggering your irrigation system.

Why Is Arvada Under Restrictions in April?

Arvada, like the rest of the Front Range, depends on mountain snowpack for its water supply. The 2026 snowpack is the worst on record by a significant margin. Denver Water's South Platte Basin — where Arvada's water originates — came in at just 4% of normal as of early April, the worst on record for that watershed. The Colorado River Basin, the other major source, is at 46% of normal — second worst on record.

Denver Water's CEO called the situation comparable to or potentially worse than the 2002–2004 drought, which was the last time the utility imposed Stage 1 restrictions. Arvada declared drought March 24 in anticipation of Denver Water's formal Stage 1 declaration the following day — one of the earliest drought declarations in the city's history.

If the 20% reduction goal is not met through voluntary compliance and Stage 1 restrictions, Denver Water's board could advance to Stage 2 — which cuts outdoor watering to one day per week. That scenario becomes more likely if summer is drier and hotter than normal, which current forecasts suggest is probable.

HOA Restrictions: Can They Fine You for a Brown Lawn?

No. Colorado law (HB 21-1229 and SB 23-178) prohibits HOAs from requiring water-intensive landscaping, mandating cool-season turf, or penalizing homeowners for xeriscaping, drought-tolerant landscaping, or lawns that go dormant as a result of following mandatory water restrictions.

If your HOA sends a violation notice for a brown or dormant lawn while you are complying with Arvada's mandatory Stage 1 restrictions, respond in writing citing HB 21-1229 and include a copy of Arvada's restriction order. Most HOAs will withdraw the notice once they understand the legal protections in place.

Rebates for Reducing Your Lawn

Arvada participates in regional turf replacement and water-efficiency rebate programs through Denver Water and Resource Central. Some specific programs have limited availability this season — Denver Water's own turf removal discount slots for 2026 sold out within days of the drought declaration. Check resourcecentral.org for current program availability and to get on notification lists for future openings. Aurora's $3/sq ft GRIP rebate is open and may be a model for what Arvada-area options offer.