The City of Evans City Council approved a drought emergency declaration during Tuesday night’s meeting. The council voted unanimously and also approved an emergency ordinance regarding outdoor watering restrictions effective immediately and in effect through October 15. The ordinance prohibits watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day, which is an expansion of the previous noon to 5 p.m. rule. This rule’s intent is to reduce evaporation by not watering during the sunniest hours of the day.
Ty Bereskie, City of Evans Public Works & Utilities Director, presented the latest information regarding water availability and demand for the 2026 irrigation season. The department has an evaluation methodology and concluded they are at 91% on the Water Supply Index (WSI) scale where 90-120% triggers a warning and 70-89% is considered critical. However, with the Colorado Big-Thompson quota increased from 70% to 80%, the City of Evans WSI number increased to 100%. Bereskie noted in his presentation that a drought emergency declaration is warranted when the WSI projections are in the “warning” range.
In addition to the daily watering restrictions, even-numbered addresses can only water on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday while odd-numbered addresses can only water on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Multi-family residences/apartments are only allowed to water on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday…