For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Ute Water Conservancy District Board of Directors voted to implement drought/emergency water rates for all of its customers.
During its May board meeting, the Board of Directors voted to implement the emergency rates beginning in July 2026 for water used in June 2026. This is the first time since 1977 that Ute Water has implemented drought rates for its 90,000 customers.
The vote came after historic regional drought conditions, including below-average snowpack, early runoff, below-normal stream flows, limited basin-wide storage, irrigation water shortages and reduced water availability throughout the Colorado River Basin, according to a Ute Water news release.
“The Historic Users Pool (HUP) is currently anticipated to provide a fraction of the normal amount of supplemental irrigation water for Grand Valley irrigators,” Ute Water Conservancy District General Manager Greg Williams said. “That supplemental supply is typically used when Colorado River flows are insufficient to satisfy irrigation water rights. As a result, some irrigation providers throughout the Grand Valley have already implemented delivery limits and restrictions.”
Irrigation shortages and restrictions increase the likelihood that Ute’s customers with limited irrigation access may rely more heavily on municipal water for outdoor irrigation, Williams said.
In March, the District’s average customer water usage increased by approximately 25%, placing additional strain on the water system, according to the release.
“Ute Water was established to provide domestic water service to our customers,” Williams said. “Our treated water and system is not designed or intended to support extensive outdoor irrigation demands, which is a primary reason the board determined that implementing drought/emergency rates was necessary.”
The drought rates are intended to encourage conservation and help manage customer demand during ongoing drought conditions, according to the release.
With the limited water supply, Ute Water will have to turn to secondary water sources, which may increase water hardness. However, all water is treated to maintain water quality that meets or exceeds state and federal standards, according to the release.
“Through the use of secondary sources, customers may experience an increase in calcium carbonate scale, commonly seen as water spots on dishes or mineral buildup on swamp cooler pads,” Ute Water Conservancy District Assistant Manager Dave Payne said.
Ute Water customers can view water quality parameters on its website — utewater.org.