Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

About the City of Thornton’s Voluntary Water Restrictions

Effective October 1, 2006

Click on the categories below to find answers to FAQs:

Residential Irrigation Questions

Other Residential Questions

Water Conservation Program Questions

General Questions

Recreation Questions

Violations/Notification/Penalty Questions

Commercial/Industrial Questions

Reporting Water Waste

Residential Irrigation:

Q.  Can I water my lawn and landscaping under voluntary restrictions?

A.  Yes. Lawns do not need to be watered more than three days per week during the irrigation season. For those with automatic sprinkler systems, running each zone in short cycles will reduce runoff. Watering during the cooler hours of the day can reduce the volume of water needed by up to 30%.

Q.  How do I know if the spray heads in my irrigation system are spray, rotor or impact heads.

A. 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.

Q.  What exactly is a zone?

A.   A zone refers to all spray heads controlled by one valve (and all the turf area covered by the water spray from these sprinkler heads). 

Q.  Can I haul water in from another location to water my lawn?

A.  No.  The City prohibits the use of water supplied from sources other than the City of Thornton.

Q.  Can I install artificial turf?

A.   No, artificial turf is prohibited by City Code.

Q.  How much and how often should I water my trees?

A.  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 twelve inches of soil. If you use a deep root probe, insert it no more than 8 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.

An excellent brochure called Save Our Shade, which describes tree care during drought, was developed by the Community Tree Alliance. A copy of this brochure is available at the City of Thornton Infrastructure Department at 12450 Washington Street.

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. The main web page address is http://www.ext.colostate.edu.   Try out their new question and answer forum at http://ext-colostate.custhelp.com.

Q.  Can I still fertilize my lawn and landscaping?

A. 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.

 Other Residential Questions:

Q.  Can I fill my swimming pool?

A.  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. 

Q.  What about outdoor hot tubs?

A.  Outdoor hot tubs may also be filled.

Q.  Will the water restrictions limit the use of public pools?

A.  No, City of Thornton public pools will be open as usual.

 Q.  Can large outdoor fountains, waterfalls or ornamental ponds be operated?

A.  Yes.

Q.  Can I use graywater (water from my washing machine, tubs, or sinks) to water my outdoor vegetation.

A.  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 at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/drought/fsmenu.html#water for more information on graywater use and rainwater harvesting.

Water Conservation Programs:

Q.  Is the City of Thornton offering any water conservation rebates?

A.  Yes, 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 toilet that uses more than 3.5 gallons per flush with a new low flush model. Limit of two toilet replacements and one washing machine per residence. Other restrictions apply to these programs, please go to www.cityofthornton.net or call 720-977-6500 to obtain the program rules before you purchase your appliance.

Q.  Are there other ways to save water indoors?

A.  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.

 Q.  Does the City offer any programs to help save water outdoors?

A.  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 303-441-3278, ext. 25 or go to www.conservationcenter.org to schedule in irrigation inspection.

General Questions:

Q.  Can I wash my sidewalks, driveway or patio under these restrictions?

A.  No, impervious surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways and patios may not be washed, except when necessary for public health or safety reasons.

Q.  Can I wash my car in my driveway this summer?

A.  Yes, vehicles may be washed at residences with the use of a bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle on any day.  The City encourages customers to limit car washing to no more than once a week.

Q.  Can I pull my car onto my lawn to wash it?

A.  City Code prohibits residents from parking their cars on landscaped areas; however, temporarily parking your car to wash it is okay.

Q.  Will automatic car washes remain open?

A.  Yes, automatic car washes will remain open. Many automatic car washes use recycling water systems for their operations.

Q.  Are charity car washes allowed?

A.  Yes.

Q.  Why do I see water shooting out of hydrants?

A.  There might be two reasons to see water flowing from a hydrant. The first is that occasionally, Thornton has to flush certain hydrants to meet water quality standards. Thornton will monitor the quality of the 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.

Recreation Questions:

Q.  Will City parks and athletic/playing fields be irrigated under voluntary water restrictions?

A.   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.

Q.  Will Eastlake 3 and Hunter’s Glen Lakes be re-filled in the spring?

A.  The lakes will be refilled as water supply allows.

Violations/Notification/Penalty:

Q.  How will notification of violations for water waste be handled?

A.  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.

Q.  Is there an appeal process for violations?

A. Yes, an appeal may be started by requesting a conference with an Infrastructure Department Representative. The request must be made within ten days of receiving notice of a violation. The City Division to contact is the Water Resources Division at 720-977-6500. 

Q.  How long will the voluntary restrictions be in place?

A.  The voluntary water restrictions will be in place until further notice. 

Commercial/Industrial Questions:

Q.  Are businesses, commercial water customers and homeowners associations asked to follow voluntary water restrictions?

A.  Yes.

Q.  Can businesses wash their vehicles?

A. Yes.

Q.  Are there any restrictions for restaurants?

A.  Restaurants are requested to only serve water upon the customer’s request.

Reporting Violations:

Q.  What do I do if I see water waste?

A.  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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