Colorado Springs Watering Rules and Xeriscape: What Homeowners Need to Know

Quick answer

Colorado Springs Utilities customers may water up to three days a week on days they choose, and from May 1 to Oct. 15 overhead watering must happen before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Drip and hand watering are allowed any time. Many homeowners respond by shrinking lawns, switching to native grass, and putting beds on drip. Costs depend mostly on area, demolition, soil, irrigation changes and plant size.

Last updated October 22, 2026

Outdoor water use is one of the biggest parts of a Colorado Springs household's water bill in summer, and it is also the part most shaped by local rules. If you are trying to keep a yard healthy without fighting the watering schedule, or thinking about replacing some lawn, it helps to understand what the rules actually say and what options you have. This guide focuses on Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) customers. If your water comes from another provider, such as the Town of Monument, Woodmoor, the City of Fountain, Security or Widefield districts, or a Falcon-area metropolitan district, your rules may differ, so check with them directly.

The Water Wise Rules, in plain terms

According to CSU, these rules apply to its customers:

Up to three days a week. You choose the days, Sunday through Saturday. This applies year-round.
Time of day, May 1 to Oct. 15. Overhead watering must happen before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., when less water evaporates.
Fix leaks. Leaking sprinkler systems must be repaired within 10 days.
Exemptions. Drip irrigation, a handheld hose with a shutoff nozzle, or a watering can may be used at any time for trees, shrubs and flower and vegetable gardens.
Large landscapes. Customers with large or complex systems can apply for a water allocation plan, which gives more flexibility on timing but not more water.
New plantings. A free establishment permit, valid four to six weeks, allows extra watering days and daytime watering while new grass or plants establish.

Rules can tighten during drought. CSU posts current rules on csu.org, and that is the place to check before relying on any summary, including this one.

Getting the most from three days a week

Most lawns that struggle under a three-day schedule are not short on allowed days. They are losing water to runoff, evaporation and poor coverage. A few changes often make a bigger difference than extra watering would:

Cycle and soak. Split each watering into two or three shorter runs an hour apart so water soaks into clay or compacted soil instead of running onto the sidewalk.
Fix coverage. Tilted heads, mixed nozzle types and blocked sprays create dry spots that tempt you to overwater the whole zone.
Switch beds to drip. Drip delivers water at the roots, wastes little to wind, and is allowed outside the restricted hours.
Use efficient nozzles and a smart controller. Rotary nozzles apply water more slowly. Weather-based controllers adjust run times. EPA WaterSense labels products that meet its efficiency criteria, and CSU lists residential irrigation rebates on its site.
Aerate and mow tall. Core aeration helps water reach roots, and taller grass shades the soil.
Adjust monthly. A lawn needs less water in May and September than in July. Change the controller as the season changes rather than leaving it on the summer setting.

Xeriscape, explained

Xeriscape is landscaping designed to need little supplemental water. It is not the same as a gravel yard. The basic principles, used by extension services and water utilities across Colorado, are: plan and design the space, improve soil where needed, limit turf to practical areas, choose plants suited to the site, irrigate efficiently, use mulch, and maintain the landscape properly. In Colorado Springs, a xeriscape typically mixes regionally adapted perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses with rock or wood mulch, a smaller lawn or native grass, and drip irrigation for beds.

CSU Extension and the Colorado Master Gardener program publish plant lists for Front Range gardens, and the El Paso County Extension office has a native plant demonstration garden. Colorado Springs Utilities also publishes water-wise plant lists and landscape galleries for ideas.

Converting a lawn: your main options

Native grass

Replacing bluegrass with buffalograss and blue grama keeps a lawn-like look with a fraction of the water once established. It needs full sun and stays tan longer in spring and fall. CSU's Native Grass Lawn Program offers residential customers a class plus free native seed and high-efficiency nozzles while supplies last; check csu.org for current details.

Planting beds

Turning lawn into beds of water-wise perennials and shrubs on drip gives the biggest water savings and the most visual interest, but it means weeding and some seasonal cleanup, especially in the first couple of years.

Hardscape

Patios, flagstone paths and gravel areas make sense where you walk or sit. Too much rock or paving in full sun can make a yard hotter, so most designs mix hardscape with plants.

Steps in a typical conversion

Check HOA or metro district covenants and get any required design approval.
Decide which areas stay as turf and which change.
Remove the existing turf by cutting it out, smothering it under sheet mulch, or using an herbicide applied by a licensed applicator. Each has trade-offs in time and cost.
Modify the sprinkler system: cap or convert spray zones in new beds to drip, and adjust remaining lawn zones.
Prepare soil and plant, then mulch.
Water through establishment, using an establishment permit if you need extra days.

Contact Colorado 811 at least three business days before digging or trenching for new irrigation lines.

What drives the cost of a conversion

Conversion costs vary widely, so it is more useful to understand the factors than to rely on a single figure:

Area: square footage of turf being removed and replaced.
Removal method: cutting and hauling sod costs more up front than smothering, which takes months.
Irrigation changes: converting zones to drip, capping heads and adding a new controller.
Plant size and density: small plants spaced farther apart cost less but take longer to fill in.
Hardscape and mulch: rock, flagstone and edging add material and labor.
Site access and slope: tight side yards and hillsides mean more hand work.

Ask for written, itemized estimates that spell out removal method, irrigation work, plant sizes and quantities, mulch type and depth, and any plant guarantee.

Wildfire and expansive soil: two local wrinkles

If you live in the wildland-urban interface on the west side, in the foothills or in wooded areas like Black Forest and Monument, follow Colorado State Forest Service defensible-space guidance: keep the first five feet around the house lean and noncombustible, using rock mulch, hardscape and low, well-spaced plants. On expansive soils, CSU Extension advises keeping regularly watered plants about five feet from the foundation and sprinkler spray out of that zone. A good water-wise design serves both goals.

Bottom line

Colorado Springs' watering rules are manageable for most yards once the irrigation system is tuned and the lawn is sized to how you use it. If you want help with a conversion, an irrigation upgrade or a new water-wise design, request a landscaping company and mention your water provider.

Frequently asked questions

Can I water every day if I use drip?

Under Colorado Springs Utilities rules, drip irrigation, a handheld hose with a shutoff nozzle or a watering can may be used at any time for trees, shrubs and gardens. Rules can change in drought, so check csu.org.

Does Colorado Springs pay homeowners to remove grass?

CSU's Native Grass Lawn Program offers residential customers free native seed and high-efficiency nozzles after a class, while supplies last, and CSU lists residential irrigation rebates. Programs change, so check csu.org for current offers.

Do the watering rules apply if I'm not a CSU customer?

Not necessarily. Monument, Woodmoor, Fountain, Security, Widefield, Falcon-area metro districts and other providers set their own rules. Check with your provider.

Sources and further reading

Request help now