Contact us to learn more about the City's Drought Management Plan.
To help you understand the Water Use Rules and Guidelines, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions below. Contact us if you need additional information.
Residential Irrigation Questions
Other Residential Questions
Water Conservation Program Questions
General Questions
Recreation Questions
Violation/Notification/Penalty Questions
Commercial/Industrial Questions
Reporting Water Waste
You can have a healthy lawn and only water TWO days per week during most of the irrigation season. For those with automatic sprinkler systems, the best way to water is to run each zone in short cycles. For example, if you normally run a zone for 15 minutes on a watering day, split the time into three 5 minute cycles with an hour in between cycles. Modern sprinkler system timers have a cycle function. Click here to download a recommended watering guide.
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Spray heads do not rotate and will emit a continuous flow of water. The entire area of ground they cover will receive water for the full amount of time the spray heads are running. Rotor and impact heads will move the spray of water in an arc pattern. Therefore, only a portion of the spray area will receive water as the rotor or impact head rotates. Rotor heads have slower precipitation rates than spray heads.
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A zone refers to all sprinkler heads controlled by one valve (and all the turf area covered by the water spray from those sprinkler heads).
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No. The City prohibits the use of water supplied from sources other than the City of Thornton.
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No, artificial turf is prohibited by City Code.
There are many negatives with artificial turf that aren't always obvious. Artificial turf becomes much hotter under the sun when compared to natural grass. You can compare the temperatures to that of black pavement under the sun.
Unlike real grass, artificial turf is not self-repairing. If there is damage to the turf it has to be sewn back together.
Some varieties of artificial turf require infill of silicon sand or granulated rubber that is made from recycled car tires. These materials can carry contaminants which can leach into the water table. Periodical disinfection may also be required as pathogens are not broken down by any natural process.
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In general, water trees once or twice a month in the winter, three or four times a month in the summer, using a soaker hose or deep root probe. For each inch of the tree's diameter, apply 10 gallons of water. A three-inch diameter tree will need 30 gallons of water applied at least once a month. Water slowly so that it will reach a depth of 12 inches into the soil. Most of a tree's absorbing roots are located in the top 12 inches of soil. If you use a deep root probe, insert it no more than eight inches into the soil. Apply the water at many locations around the tree's dripline, but not too close to the trunk. Deep root probes can be purchased at home improvement stores for about $20.00. If you have specific questions related to how much water a particular plant needs, please call a local nursery or the Adams County Cooperative Extension office at 303-637-8100.
Colorado State University's Cooperative Extension has a web site that gives useful information on plant care. Try out their question and answer forum
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Colorado State University Cooperative Extension recommends that lawns be fertilized according to manufacturers' instructions in the fall using a fertilizer with a combination of nitrogen sources that will be available immediately and released slowly. If you have a new lawn with compacted soils, you may need to fertilize in the spring too.
Looking for an inexpensive way to fertilize? Try returning your lawn clippings back on the lawn while mowing. Clippings contain nitrogen and other nurtients that will be recycled back into your lawn, promoting healthy grass growth. Clippings on the lawn also mean no bagging or hauling which saves both human and fuel energy.
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Yes.
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No. The use of graywater is regulated by the Tri-County Health Department. Graywater use is a public health issue because it contains harmful bacteria and viruses. Both graywater and black water (water from toilets) are regarded as wastewater. Tri-County Health Department regulations state that for any home serviced by a public sewer system, all wastewater must go down the drain. Since Thornton residents are serviced by a public sewer system, graywater use in Thornton is prohibited. Please visit CSU's Web site for more information on using graywater and harvesting rainwater.
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Yes, the City of Thornton offers residential water customers the chance to earn $125 credit on their water bill for purchasing a new water-efficient washing machine, and a credit of $100 for replacing a 3.5+ GPF toilet with a new low-flush model. The City is now offering $125 credit for replacing a 3.5+ GPF toilet with a new EPA WaterSense labeled toilet. Limit of two toilet replacements and one washing machine per residence. Other restrictions apply to these programs; please go to www.ThorntonWater.com or call 720-977-6500 to obtain the program rules before you purchase your appliance.
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Yes, residential water customers can bring their old, water-wasting showerhead (delivers more than 2.0 gallons of water per minute) and exchange it for a free, highly-rated, Earth Massage Showerhead by Niagara Conservation Corporation. Customers may exchange showerheads at the Water Resources Division located at 12450 Washington Street. Proof of Thornton residency (or proof that the residence receives water from the City of Thornton) is required at the time of exchange. Limit of two showerheads per residence. For more information, please call 720-977-6500.
Free indoor water-checks are offered on a first come, first served basis to Thornton water customers. Residents may call CRC at 303-999-3820, ext. 217 or go to www.conservationcenter.org and click on Slow the Flow Indoors for more information or to schedule a water check-up..
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Yes, the City has teamed up with the Center for Resource Conservation (CRC) to offer a limited number of FREE irrigation inspections to a residential water customers with automatic irrigation systems. Irrigation inspections provide valuable information that can help improve a system's efficiency, save water, and improve lawn appearance. Free inspections are offered on a first come, first served basis from June through the first week of August. Residents may call CRC at 303-999-3820, ext. 217 or go to www.conservationcenter.org to schedule in irrigation inspection.
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We recommend using a broom intead of a hose to clean impervious surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways and patios.
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Yes, vehicles may be washed on any day at residences with the use of a bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle. The City encourages customers to limit car washing to no more than once a week.
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City Code prohibits residents from parking their cars on landscaped areas; however, temporarily parking your car on your lawn to wash it is okay.
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Yes, automatic car washes will remain open. Many automatic car washes use recycling water systems for their operations.
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There are two reasons water might be flowing from a hydrant. The first is that the City of Thornton has to occasionally flush certain hydrants to meet water quality standards. The City will monitor the quality of water in the distribution lines to determine if a once-a-year flushing program will suffice to meet standards and also conserve water. The second is that during construction and repairs on the pipes in our distribution system, hydrants sometimes have to be turned on. During these operations, it is usually not possible to capture this water for later use.
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The City of Thornton Parks & Forestry Division is responsible for maintenance of over 960 acres of parks and public lands. We use a variety of water delivery methods from overhead spray irrigation to subsurface drip irrigation. It is our intent to replace the loss of ET, evapotranspiration, when possible; however, site conditions dictate what final adjustments are made to watering schedules. ET is the loss of water from evaporation of water from the soil and transpiration by the plant. This ET rating is generally given on local weather reports.
The City follows a practice called Cycle and Soak when we apply the water to our landscapes. Our maintenance staff will determine what the infiltration rate is for the soil, this is how much water the soil can take in before the water begins to puddle or run off. This infiltration rate is different throughout the City as well as throughout any given park. Slope areas have a different rate than flat areas; clay soils have different rates than amended soils or sandy loam soils. High-use compacted areas have a different rate than passive areas. Once the infiltration rate is determined for that park area, the water is divided into 2 or 3 watering cycles. The watering cycle will water for a given time-frame then the water is allowed to soak into the soil before the second or third cycle begins. This practice allows for the soil to take in more water over a given period of time and helps to promote deeper roots for the turf or plant.
Given the number of acres we have to water, it is not always possible to complete the watering schedules between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. We also have to give high-use sport turf areas different watering schedules to keep the sites safe for play while maintaining a viable green lawn.
If you have any questions about our watering practices, or want to report a broken sprinkler head in a park, please call the Parks division at 303-255-7833 or fill out a service request on Thornton Connected.
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The lakes will be refilled as the water supply allows.
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Wasting water is prohibited by the Water Use Rules. Water waste is defined in the Thornton City Code as the intentional, unintentional, or excessive use of water that is not considered reasonable, prudent or a wise use of water for an authorized purpose, but not limited to, by way of example, the following:
Allowing water to be applied in any manner, rate or quantity such that the water is allowed to pool or flow across the ground or into any drainage way, such as gutters, streets, sidewalks, alleys or storm drains is prohibited. Incidental runoff from an irrigation system operated in a reasonable and prudent manner is excepted.
Failing to repair, for a period of more than 10 days after notice, leaking or damaged pipe, hose, or irrigation components is prohibited.
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A water customer may be issued a warning to ensure understanding of the rules and regulations. A written notice of violation will be personally served, posted on a structure on the property, or mailed by regular mail to the violator or the owner of the property. The penalty for the first violation is $100, $250 for the second, and $500 for the third violation. The penalty will be added to the violator's utility bill for the property. If the third violation charge is not paid within five days following written notice of violation, the water service will be suspended. At all times, representatives of the City will attempt to talk to the owner of the property to discuss the cause of the violation and to offer information on how to correct the cause of the violation. Our primary goal is to have citizens help us save water.
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Yes, an appeal may be started by requesting a conference with an Infrastructure Department Representative. The request must be made within 10 days of receiving notice of a violation. Contact the Water Resources Division at 720-977-6500.
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Restaurants are encouraged to serve water only upon customer request.
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We need to know the exact address, the nature of the problem, and when it occurs. A representative of the City must witness the water waste. There are many ways you can report water waste. You can call the Water Resources Division at 720-977-6500 or email info@thorntonwater.com to report the problem. You can also fill out a service request on Thornton Connected.
We even have a new Thornton Connected iPhone application. The app can be downloaded free from the iPhone App Store by searching for GORequest. The process is quick and easy. When a resident spots a problem, or needs an issue resolved, they simply open the app, select an issue, take a picture if applicable, and tap submit . If a photo is submitted, the app uses GPS to detect the exact location of the reported problem, and then include the location with the service request. The request will then go directly to the City staff member who is most qualified to address it. The iPhone app is the latest enhancement to the Thornton Connected citizen relationship management (CRM) solution from Government Outreach, Inc. You can use this app for water waste or any other issue you would like to report to City staff.
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Please contact us if you have any questions about the Water Use Rules and Guidelines.
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Living in a semi-arid climate, drought and water restrictions have been a reality for Colorado residents in the past. With your help, we can conserve our water supply and possibly avoid the need to impose mandatory water restrictions. Our goal is to conserve year-round by using water wisely. Due to the naturally occurring cycles of drought, there may be times when the City of Thornton will need to observe voluntary or mandatory water restrictions. City residents will be notified of a change in restriction level, but can always visit this Web page to find the most current drought status. 
