Overview
- The dispute began this week when Mayor Mike Coffman posted a photo of a very green lawn at Rangeview High School and said the district was watering in defiance of Stage One restrictions.
- Aurora Water told city leaders that a subset of Aurora Public Schools sites used more water than allowed under a variance and therefore incurred drought surcharges, not regulatory fines.
- Aurora Public Schools says it has an approved conservation plan to cut use by 20% and limit outdoor watering to two days a week and that it has not paid or received fines.
- Aurora Water explained that surcharges apply to irrigation accounts from the first gallon as a revenue-neutral incentive to curb use and acknowledged it did not clearly explain the difference to the mayor.
- City, utility and district officials are holding follow-up meetings to reconcile site-level data and monitor reservoir levels, which are roughly 52 percent and could prompt a recommendation for Stage Two limits.