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Water Efficiency and Conservation
- Where does our water come from?
- Drought information
- Water Saving Tips
- City of Aspen Efficiency Partners
Aspen sources nearly all of its water from Castle Creek and Maroon Creek, which are fed by the annual snowpack in the surrounding mountains. With limited water sources and minimal storage capacity, the city must carefully manage its supply while preparing for hazards like drought, wildfires, and avalanches.
Castle Creek and Maroon Creek flow into the Roaring Fork River, which eventually joins the Colorado River. As a headwaters community, we have a responsibility to lead by example in conserving and protecting our local water supply. Learn more about Aspen's watershed and how you can help.
Late summer is when our water resources are most at risk, as snowpack and streamflows are at their lowest. Outdoor irrigation of lawns and gardens remains the largest use of water year-round. Explore our range of programs designed to reduce outdoor water waste—like the Irrigation Assessment & Rebate Program —and discover how improving your irrigation system can lead to significant water savings.
The City of Aspen is in Stage Two Water Shortage
The Roaring Fork Valley has been significantly impacted by drought, leading to reduced stream flows and stressed vegetation. Water conservation is crucial to ensure the sustainability of local water resources. Efficient practices can help mitigate these effects and preserve this vital resource as a headwaters community.
The City of Aspen actively works to manage the drought status of the City and encourage water savings in times of drought. To learn more about Aspen’s water restrictions and Drought Mitigation and Response plan, visit the Drought Watch page.
Top 11 Outdoor Water Saving Tips
- Water your lawn in the early morning or evening to minimize evaporation.
- Spread a layer of organic mulch around plants to help them retain moisture.
- Look into smart xeriscape landscaping and group plants according to their watering needs.
- Follow the mandatory Stage 2 Water Shortage irrigation schedule.
- Adjust your sprinklers so it only waters lawn not sidewalk, street, or driveway.
- Adjust your lawn mover to the height of 1.5-2 inches.Longer grass will allow soil to retain more moisture.
- Check your sprinkler system frequently for leaks.
- Use compost in your garden to add water-holding organic matter.
- Leave lawn clippings on your grass to cool the ground and hold moisture.
- Weed your lawn and garden frequently. Weeds compete with other plants for water.
- Learn how to shut off your automatic watering system in case of malfunctions or rain.
Top 11 Indoor Water Saving Tips
- Use an energy star dishwasher (if you have one) instead of washing by hand and only run the dishwasher when it's fully loaded.
- Insulate hot water pipes to help water heat faster.
- Garbage disposals use a lot of water to operate, so try to use them sparingly. Consider composting instead!
- Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
- Match the water level to the size of your laundry load.
- Wash dark clothes in cold water to save water and energy.
- Shorten your shower by a minute or two and save up to 150 gallons per month!
- Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
- Throw tissues in the trash instead of flushing them.
- Use excess water from waiting for the shower to heat up by washing veggies or watering plants.
- Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. See our instructions to sign up for our automatic metering system to track your hourly water use!
More Water Saving Resources:
Water Use It Wisely's 100+ Water-Saving Tips
Express Sewer's Ultimate List of Water Saving Tips
Eartheasy's 45+ Ways to Conserve Water in the Home and Yard
Our Partners in Water Conservation
The City of Aspen collaborates with several esteemed organizations dedicated to promoting water conservation and sustainability. These partnerships help us implement effective water-saving strategies and engage our community in sustainable practices. Here are some of the key organizations we work with:
Resource Central
Resource Central is committed to helping people save water, reduce waste, and conserve energy. Their programs, such as Garden in a Box and Slow the Flow, promote water-efficient landscaping and irrigation practices. For more information, please visit Resource Central's website.
Roaring Fork Conservancy
Since 1996, Roaring Fork Conservancy has been working to protect the Roaring Fork Watershed. They focus on keeping water in local streams, monitoring water quality, and preserving riparian habitats through education and policy initiatives. For more information and other resources, please visit Roaring Fork Conservancy's website.
Colorado WaterWise
Colorado WaterWise connects stakeholders invested in water efficiency across Colorado. They provide education, resources, and networking opportunties to promote water conservation and efficiency. For more information, please visit Colorado WaterWise's website.
Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)
CWCB's mission is to conserve, develop, protect and manage Colorado's water resources. They provide funding and technical resources to support water conservation projects and manage the Colorado Water Plan. For more information, please visit CWCB's website.
City of Aspen Water Efficiency Plan
The 2022 Water Efficiency Plan (WEP) was developed to build upon the City's robust water efficiency program and is intended to work together with the City's other planning efforts, such as the Integrated Water Resource Plan (IRP) and the Drought Mitigation and Response Plan (DMRP). This 2022 WEP provides an update following the 2015 plan to focus on new water data trends and the water efficiency activities that Aspen will implement moving forward.
City of Aspen Customer Water Conservation Programs
- Garden in a Box
- Irrigation Assessments
- Mandatory Irrigation Schedule
- Speaker Series
- #AspenConserves Photo Contest
Low Water Use Garden Sale!
The Utilities Department and Resource Central are bringing Garden in a Box to Aspen! Garden in a Box is a low water kit that includes starter plants, a plant-by-number map, and a care guide to simplify installation and maintenance. These water-efficient gardens help conserve water and reduce utility costs!
Aspen residents can choose from eight climate-friendly garden kits and receive a $25 discount by selecting City of Aspen at checkout. A limited number of discounted kits are available.
Gardens go on sale March 11th and pick up will be on June 4th at the Aspen Middle School! Visit Resource Central's website for more information and their garden list or join their interest list to receive updates Garden in a Box!
Get your Free Irrigation Audit!
The City of Aspen sponsors a program offering free irrigation assessments to all interested Aspen water customers. Once you receive the assessment, the City provides 50% cost-sharing rebates (up to $2,500 per parcel) to be applied to your water account for recommended system updates.
Why Get an Assessment?
- It's free! There's no obligation to follow the suggestions if you don't want to.
- Save up to 40% more water this summer!
- Keep your lawn and garden happy! Overwatering can harm your plants, but this program ensures your irrigation system is giving just the right amount.
- Cut down on your summer water bills! Less irrigation means more money in your pocket.
- Gain a better understanding of your irrigation system and how to optimize it!
For more information regarding this program, please visit the Irrigation Assessment and Rebates webpage.
Ready for an assessment? Sign up to be notified when appointments open up for the 2026 summer assessments.
Mandatory Irrigation Schedule
Effective September 1st, 2025, this mandatory irrigation schedule will require any person or entity using water from the City water system or any system connected thereto to adhere to the following schedule.
- There shall be no irrigation or outdoor water use between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
- Customers whose property address (base number) ends in an odd number can only irrigate outdoors on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
- Customers whose property address (base number) ends in an even number (including 0) can only irrigate outdoors on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
- No outside irrigation shall be allowed on Mondays.
For example, someone living at 1111 Waterwise Lane is on the odd address irrigation schedule. This means they can only irrigate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between the hours of 12:00 AM and 9:00 AM and/or between the hours of 6:00 PM and 11:59 PM.
For more information see the City of Aspen Municipal Code Section 25.28.021.
The City of Aspen is hosting several informative talks in 2025 to help residents understand the importance of water efficiency and conservation living in a headwaters community!
- March 27th @ 5 PM: Detecting Leaks through Your Water Bill and Aspen Intelligent Metering (AIM)
- Join us for this insightful talk as part of EPA's Fix a Leak Week. Learn how to read your water bill and utilize smart meter technologies to detect water leaks and save water.
- If you missed the live event you can watch the recording here !
- Join us for this insightful talk as part of EPA's Fix a Leak Week. Learn how to read your water bill and utilize smart meter technologies to detect water leaks and save water.
- July 17th @ 5 PM: Waterwise Landscaping
- Deryn Davidson, a Sustainable Landscape State Specialist from Colorado State University, will discuss the benefits and beauty of waterwise landscaping. Attendees will receive a package of seeds to start their own waterwise gardens!
- If you missed the live event, you can watch the recording here!
- Deryn Davidson, a Sustainable Landscape State Specialist from Colorado State University, will discuss the benefits and beauty of waterwise landscaping. Attendees will receive a package of seeds to start their own waterwise gardens!
If there are other topics that would interest you, please fill out the form and let us know!
Seasonal #AspenConserves Photo Contest
The City launched the annual photo contest in 2024 to encourage residents to celebrate and appreciate the incredible water resources in our valley. This initiative aims to inspire our community to conserve water and protect our natural environment as a headwaters community. If you're interested in participating, the contest is now live! Head over to the City of Aspen Instagram for more information.
Thank you to everyone who submitted photos last year!
2024 Winners:
First Place Second Place Third Place