Water Guidelines

Meadowbrook Water District

Meadowbrook Fairview Metropolitan District 

2018 Summer Watering Rules and Tips

Meadowbrook Water’s 2018 Summer Water Use program in effect May 1 to October 1.

Water is a limited resource in our dry climate, and using water wisely not only saves you money, but it’s the right thing to do. To help you use only what you need, here are watering rules, times, tips and tools.

Watering Rules

In 2018 Meadowbrook Water will continue to enforce watering rules*, so please use water wisely.

• Water during cooler times of day — lawn watering is NOT allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
  
• Water no more than three (3) days per week
  
• Do not allow water to pool in gutters, streets and alleys
  
• Do not waste water by letting it spray on concrete and asphalt
  
• Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days
  
• Do not irrigate while it’s raining or during high winds
  
• Use a hose nozzle with a shut-off valve when washing your car
  

These rules are mandatory. If these rules are not followed, Meadowbrook Water will first result in a warning. The second could result in a $50 fine, and repeat offenders could receive a $100 fine. If customers continue to violate the rules, their water service may be shut off.

Lawn Watering Times

Program your controller or timer to water in cycles to allow water to soak into the ground.

Watering two (2) days a week should be sufficient during most of the summer. If needed, water a third (3rd) day during extreme heat or dry periods. Water trees and shrubs as needed, but not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Shrubs and perennials need half as much water as lawns.

There are no assigned watering days, but never water a zone more than three (3) days a week. Remember, no watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Tips and Tools

Here are some simple tips for outdoor watering to help you use only what you need.

1. Check soil moisture before you water.
Your lawn may not be as thirsty as you think. Tip: Walk across your lawn. Look back for footprints. If you don’t see any, your lawn doesn’t need water.

2. Change the time setting on your automatic controller each month.
Once a month, adjust the clock on your irrigation system to the correct watering times (see chart). As you get to know your landscape needs, try shaving two minutes off a few zones and save even more water. You can maintain a healthy lawn with less water, and adjusting the watering times based on seasonal weather conditions helps you use only what you need.

3. Cycle water: 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off.
Regulate your water usage with an inexpensive, easy-to-use hose timer. Install the timer between the spigot and the hose. Some timers allow cyclical watering — 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off — so that water penetrates the soil, creating a healthier lawn with less water. For clay soils and slopes, eliminate runoff by applying water for a short time, such as 5 minutes, allowing water to soak in. Repeat this cycle until soil is saturated, never longer than 30 minutes.

4. Don’t water during rain or strong winds.
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, consider installing a rainfall sensor to prevent your system from watering in the rain. Denver Water offers rebates worth $25 to $50 for these devices. Wind is an enemy of spray irrigation. It speeds evaporation, and water blows away from intended landscapes. Wait for winds to die down.

5. Add a weather-based smart controller to your irrigation system — especially if you have a large lot.
Evapotranspiration (ET) is a measure of water lost from soil by evaporation and transpiration (usage by plants). A weather-based smart controller, or ET controller, can be added to your system so watering is based on ET readings. By taking into account air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind and natural rainfall, an ET controller calculates the degree of evapotranspiration and allocates the proper amount of water for your lawn.

Denver Water offers a rebate  for such devices. Contact your irrigation or landscape service provider to help with purchase and installation. For more information go to http://denverwater.org/Conservation/Rebates/

SEWER GUIDELINES

PLEASE BE AWARE that our sanitary sewer system is designed to handle ONLY three types of waste products:           

• Water
  
• Human body waste
  
• Toilet paper
  

WE ARE ASKING THAT RESIDENTS DO NOT USE THEIR TOILETS AS TRASH CANS. Flushing foreign materials puts yourself, your neighbors, and your community at risk for costly sewer line repairs and reduces the service life of the main lines and pumping equipment, and increases the cost of maintaining the District’s sewer system.

Any item that is flushed down the toilet, or poured down a sink or drain, has the potential to accumulate in the District’s sewer main causing a hefty backup. Or, objects may become lodged in the rotating impellers in the pumps used to move our wastewater to the City of Littleton Treatment Plant. A sanitary sewer system overflow is as bad as it sounds. As property owners in the Meadowbrook-Fairview Metropolitan District, we need to protect our assets.

Diapers, feminine products, grease buildup, and tree roots are the leading causes of preventable backups, but everyday items such as dental floss, newspaper bags, sanitary items, adult/baby diapers, pine cones, Q-tips, band-aids, gauze, string, chains, goldfish, jewelry, keys, rocks, toys, dish towels, pantyhose, coins, garden hose, wads of hair, gum and other foreign objects have been found flowing through our sanitary sewer system.

Sinks and floor drains are also not meant for the disposal of grease, oil, sand, coffee grounds, paint, flammable liquids, kitty litter, bird seed, wax, or raw or cooked food of any kind.

NEVER flush prescription or over-the-counter medications or hypodermic needles. Hazardous materials and toxic or caustic liquids must be disposed of according to city and county regulations.

SUMP PUMPS.  
No SUMP PUMP shall be connected or discharged into the District’s sanitary sewer system. The District may require inspection of all SUMP PUMPS to insure proper installation and daylighting.