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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.
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| Currently, Thornton is not in drought response mode. As always, we ask that Thornton Water Customers use water wisely. |
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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
Yes. Lawns do not need to be watered more than TWO days per week during the irrigation season. For those with automatic sprinkler systems, running each zone in short cycles will reduce runoff. For example, if you run a zone for 15 minutes on a watering day, split the time into three 5 minute cycles. Modern sprinkler system timers have a cycle function. Watering during the cooler hours of the day can reduce the volume of water needed by up to 30%.
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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).Ý
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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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Can I install artificial turf?
No, artificial turf is prohibited by City Code.
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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 between March and June using a fertilizer with a combination of nitrogen sources that will be available immediately and released slowly.
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Yes, large in-ground or above ground outdoor pools may be filled this year. When pools are not in use, covers are encouraged to reduce water loss from evaporation.
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Outdoor hot tubs may also be filled. Covers are encouraged to reduce evaporation.
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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.
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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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No, impervious surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways and patios may not be washed, except when necessary for public health or safety reasons.
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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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Yes.
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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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Yes, City parks and athletic/playing fields may irrigate turf areas outside of the recommended three day turf irrigation schedule as needed to appropriately irrigate large areas but should irrigate in a manner the meets the water-saving goals of the City.
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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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Yes.
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Yes.
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Restaurants are encouraged to serve water only upon customer request.
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Call the Water Resources Division at 720-977-6500 and report the problem. 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.
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Please contact us if you have any questions about the Water Use Rules and Guidelines.
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