Erie Passed a Water Allocation Policy. Here's What It Means for Your Sprinkler System.

What Erie Just Did, and Why It's Good News

On May 26, Erie's Town Council adopted a new Water Allocation Policy. It is honestly one of the more encouraging things the town has done for irrigation customers this year, because it gives every homeowner a clear playbook for what's coming and how to plan around it.

The short version: Erie is being proactive. Two of the big regional water projects the town has invested in (Chimney Hollow and NISP) are taking longer to come online than originally planned, so the council put together a thoughtful framework to manage water smartly in the meantime. That kind of forward planning is exactly what you want from local leadership.

Mayor Andrew Moore walked through the whole picture in a recent blog post, and it's worth reading in full if you have ten minutes. If you don't, here's what I took from it as someone who works on Erie irrigation systems every week.

Where Chimney Hollow Reservoir Stands

Chimney Hollow Reservoir is the storage project Erie helped fund as a long-term backstop for summer water supply. It is real, it is built, and the first water is already flowing into it. The good news is the infrastructure exists. The timing of when Erie can start drawing from it is still being sorted out.

Uranium testing. During initial fill, Northern Water found that natural uranium had leached out of a construction quarry into the pool. Northern Water is working through the testing and treatment process before releasing water downstream to participating towns. The current planning assumption is that Chimney Hollow water arrives in Erie 5 to 6 years from now. That is later than originally hoped, but the upside is that the testing is being done thoroughly. Nobody wants water released before it's clean.

Building up storage. The other factor is that this year's snowpack came in lower than usual (the South Platte basin peaked at 42 percent of normal in March), so it takes longer to fill the reservoir to useful levels. A few good winters in a row will change that picture fast.

The takeaway: Chimney Hollow is coming. It just isn't the immediate safety net for this summer, and Erie's leadership planned for that.

The NISP Investment

The Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) is the other regional water project Erie has stake in. The town has invested about $30 million in NISP planning and permitting, which signals real long-term thinking. NISP is taking time to deliver, but it's another piece of the long-term water-security puzzle, and Erie is at the table.

What the Water Allocation Policy Actually Does

The policy is the framework Erie will use to manage water fairly and predictably for the next several years. The good news is that it gives homeowners visibility into what to expect.

In practical terms:

• The voluntary drought-stage schedule (2 days a week, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.) is now a known, stable framework. You can plan your watering around it instead of guessing.
• New development is being managed thoughtfully, which protects existing residents' service.
• The town is leaning into conservation and efficiency, and there are real rebate dollars on the table for homeowners who want to upgrade.

This is a plan, not a panic. The town is bridging a real gap with intention, and homeowners have great tools to do their part.

What This Means for Your Yard (and the Opportunity in It)

If you live in Erie and have a sprinkler system, the next few years are a great window to make your yard genuinely better. Here is what I mean:

The watering rhythm is clear. The Stage 2 voluntary schedule (2 days a week, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. only) is the baseline. Knowing the rhythm makes it easy to dial your controller in once and forget about it. More background on Erie's spring water situation here.

Efficiency upgrades pay back faster than ever. With water rates trending up and rebate programs stacking, the math on a smart controller or efficient nozzle swap is the best it has been in years. Most homeowners I work with this year are surprised by how quickly the savings show up on the bill.

Builder-installed systems have a lot of upside. Most new-construction sprinkler systems ship with default schedules that aren't dialed in for Erie's conditions. Five minutes of reprogramming makes a real, visible difference. I walked through the full new-homeowner playbook here.

Smart controllers are a no-brainer here. When utility rebates stack on top of manufacturer rebates, the cheapest models are practically free after rebates. I keep the current Erie rebate math here, and the stackable utility rebates here.

Smart landscaping decisions look better than ever. Turf-to-drip conversions, MPR nozzle swaps, and rethinking the highest-water corners of your yard are all great moves right now. You end up with a yard that looks better, costs less to maintain, and is more drought-resilient.

A Few Easy Wins This Month

If you are an Erie homeowner reading this, here are the moves that make the biggest difference for the least effort:

• Walk your system on a Saturday morning. Watch every zone run. Note any spray on the driveway, fence, or house. Every fix is a win.
• Set your controller to the 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. window. Quick adjustment, immediate impact.
• If your controller is 10 or more years old, this is a great year to upgrade. The rebates make the upgrade easy on the budget.
• For zones that have struggled every July, think about whether a smarter planting choice would serve you better. Less work, better look, less water.

Book a spring tune-up or system audit if you want a second set of eyes. I work across Erie, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, and Weld County. There is a month-by-month guide here if you want to plan ahead.

Why I'm Optimistic About the Next Few Years

Erie has invested in big infrastructure, the town leadership is planning thoughtfully, and homeowners have more tools and rebates than ever to make their yards efficient and beautiful. The Water Allocation Policy gives all of us a clear road map.

Honestly, I think Erie homeowners who take a little action on their systems over the next year are going to come out of this period with yards that look better, water bills that are lower, and a lot more confidence about how their landscape handles a tough summer.

Mayor Moore's full post is worth a read for the policy context: State of Erie's Future Water.