Water in National News

Water shortages are happening across the nation. How are other states planning and preparing to make sure that there’s enough water for their residents? Residents from Aurora, Colo. have recently been told by their city council that the days in which they can irrigate their lawns will be reduced from three days a week to two. The Aurora City Council has declared their municipality to be under “stage one water availability,” as the reservoir level in the area is projected to be at 48 percent through this summer. Residents who water more than their prescribed two days a week can expect a surcharge on their water bills. City officials are hoping to incentivize residents of Aurora to decrease their water usage this summer with the implementation of the surcharge. Snowpack in the area has been under the annual average since 2020. Local officials project the levels of the reservoirs each spring and determine which level of water restrictions are to be put into place. Short term conservation measures such as those implemented in Aurora and other places across the country play an important role in maximizing the water that is currently available to residents. Aurora, like many other communities throughout the country, is also researching and working on long term solutions for their water needs.