Since Stage 1 drought restrictions were enacted this spring, the Metro District has been prioritizing how to use water efficiently in our parks and parkways. We are committed to lowering usage by 15-20%.

In our parks, irrigation efforts will focus on sports fields to ensure play surfaces remain healthy and safe. Peripheral, more passive areas of our parks will be watered at reduced rates.

Along our parkways, priorities include landscape conversion projects that will replace bluegrass with more sustainable landscaping. Portions of existing parkway grass have shown the effects of drought stress and mites this spring. Because new sod or seed requires a larger amount of water to get it established, repairs may be deferred in some areas until cooler weather in the fall.

During Stage 1 drought conditions, homeowners may see the Metro District watering more than the two days per week allotted to residents due to the large amount of property we maintain. The large network of irrigation systems, with more than 6,000 zones, makes it impractical to irrigate large sites in a single program. With that, the Metro District is still reducing our water consumption by 15-20%.