Palmer Lake implements Stage 1 water restrictions, could charge residents over $2,000 for violations
PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Palmer Lake Town Council restricted lawn watering to one hour per week on Wednesdays after officials confirmed that one of the town's water sources is completely dry.
Residents may only water lawns from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays until further notice. The Town of Palmer Lake Water Department noted that the municipality operates with a limited number of water sources.
In addition to limiting watering times, the town council banned the use of hoses and sprinklers. Residents must use a bucket or watering can filled directly from a faucet to water their lawns.
Police will actively monitor the town for water violations. Glen Smith, who serves as police chief and interim town administrator, confirmed that officers will issue citations to anyone violating the schedule.
“There are a lot of people who wait until it gets dark, and now the sprinklers out in the middle of the yard. There isn't going to be any more of that. There's going to be citations. You can tell it to the judge,” Smith said.
First-time offenders will receive a warning, but subsequent violations carry a fine of up to $2,650.
Palmer Lake resident Glenn Paauw noted the magnitude of the potential financial penalty.
“Yeah, that's a pretty high number. I think it's probably trying to communicate how serious the situation is,” Paauw said. He stressed the importance of community cooperation, adding, “We all have to be realistic about what we can do with water.”
Longtime residents also pointed to past weather patterns as context for the decision. Trudy Finan, a local resident, noted that dry conditions have impacted properties in the past.
“When they do a restriction, I comply as best I can. Now, we've lived here long enough to know that when droughts happened, sometimes we lose lawns,” Finan said.
She acknowledged the difficulty of the mandate while expressing acceptance.
“I would like the freedom to water more than once a week,” Finan said. “But if it's come to that, I guess it's come to that.”
The town's water department stated that a full snowpack will be required to resolve the current shortage. No timeline has been established for when the watering restrictions might be lifted.
According to the resolution passed on Thursday, it's not just fines that people may face for violations. The city also has the discretion to cut the water supply to homes.
If that happens, the home or business in question would be able to appeal that decision. They would have to pay to not only turn it back on, but also the cost of turning it off in the first place.
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