Lawn Watering Begins April 15th
Greeley has mandatory watering restrictions; the City has had lawn watering regulations since 1907. In addition to being a water conservation measure, restrictions help the Water Department manage water when demand is high.
Once the watering season begins, odd numbered residences are allowed to water their lawns on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Even numbered addresses can water on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Non-residential properties and multi-family residential properties, such as apartments and HOA common areas water on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. No lawn watering is allowed between noon and 5 p.m. Midday watering is not allowed, because it wastes water.
Although watering is allowed three days per week, watering one day is adequate in April. Always use weather (temperature and precipitation) as a guide on how much to water. If you want a customized watering schedule for your irrigation system, sign up for a sprinkler system audit.
Full watering restriction information and watering tips are available on our Water Restrictions web page. Flyers will be distributed in April water bills and are available in English and Spanish.
Below are some tips to help you get your landscape ready for the irrigation season:
An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing.
- Rake your yard to remove dead grass.
- Core aerate lawns in March or April. Be sure the ground isn't frozen or too dry to ensure deep full cores. Leave cores on the ground and let them break down naturally. Top dress your lawn with compost.
- Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer.
- If you have had weeds the previous year in you lawn, apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass and other early annual weed seeds from sprouting (usually labeled as crabgrass preventer).
- Overseed your lawn to fill in bare spots or throughout the lawn to revitalize a thin lawn. Two-week variances are available for overseeding if compost is applied. Visit the variance web page for more information.
- Reduce turf areas by planting shrubs, trees and other plants that require less water. Limit turf areas to be manageable, easily mowed and watered. Eliminate long narrow strips and slopes.
- Pressurize sprinkler systems and check for proper spray distribution. Check irrigation equipment for clogged nozzles or sprinkler heads for damage. Realign heads if necessary.
- Use the cycle and soak method of watering. Instead of running your spray heads for 15 minutes, set them for five to seven minutes and cycle through all the zones, then come back and run them again for five minutes each zone. This will help the water soak in without running off.
- Consider incorporating the 7 steps of Xeriscape into your landscape planning. Remove turf that is hard to water and maintain in areas of the yard. Place moderate water areas (shrub and perennial beds) between hardscape (driveways, sidewalks, patios) and high water (turf) zones to reduce runoff and waste.