Brighton Imposes Mandatory Watering Restrictions

City seeks 20% water use reduction amid regional drought

Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:37pm

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The city of Brighton, Colorado has implemented mandatory watering restrictions due to low snowpack levels and regional drought conditions. The new rules limit irrigation to two days per week based on address, prohibit watering during the hottest hours of the day, and ban sod replacement over 200 square feet. Violators face escalating fines for non-compliance.

Why it matters

As drought conditions persist across the Front Range, Brighton is taking proactive steps to conserve limited water resources. The new restrictions aim to reduce citywide water usage by at least 20% and align with similar measures adopted by other Denver-area municipalities.

The details

Brighton City Council unanimously voted to move the city into Stage 1 drought restrictions, effective immediately. The new rules limit irrigation to Tuesdays and Fridays for even-numbered addresses, Wednesdays and Saturdays for odd-numbered addresses, and Mondays and Fridays for unassigned landscape tracts. Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and sod replacement over 200 square feet is banned. Violators will face a four-strike system, with written warnings for the first two offenses, followed by escalating fines starting at $125.

  • The new watering restrictions went into effect immediately on April 8, 2026.

The players

Brighton City Council

The governing body of the city of Brighton, Colorado that unanimously voted to implement the new mandatory watering restrictions.

Scott Olsen

The Utilities Director for the city of Brighton, who stated the goal is to reduce citywide water use by at least 20% due to low snowpack and regional drought conditions.

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What they’re saying

“We're experiencing conditions we haven't seen before, and it's important that we all work together to conserve water.”

— Scott Olsen, Utilities Director

What’s next

The city will monitor water usage and may escalate to further drought restrictions if the 20% reduction target is not met.

The takeaway

As drought persists across the Front Range, Brighton's new mandatory watering rules reflect the growing need for municipalities to take decisive action to conserve limited water resources and align with regional conservation efforts.