"Smart" water: Outing Aurora's drought scofflaws
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Plenty of Aurora residents seem to think they can sneak extra sprinkler cycles past the water department.
Why it matters: Aurora Water tells Axios about 14,000 accounts have tripped its drought-rule alarms so far this year, as the city battles dry conditions and shrinking water supplies.
- That means roughly 14% of the utility's nearly 100,000 accounts were flagged for potential violations.
And that's just the beginning.
- Aurora Water told about 1,200 customers to knock it off as of May 22.
- It issued 68 fines through May 22 — more than 11 times the six issued in all of 2025.
Ignore those warnings — and early fines — and the situation gets expensive.
The big picture: Aurora is in a serious drought. Reservoirs are under pressure, and state fire officials say Colorado is heading into a potentially dangerous wildfire season.
- City Council approved Stage 1 drought restrictions in early April, limiting lawn watering to two days per week and assigning watering days by address.
Reality check: Aurora Water doesn't care what lawns look like.
- It does care whether users are watering more than drought rules allow — including running sprinklers between 10am and 6pm or on the wrong day.
Caveat: Aurora didn't have Stage 1 restrictions last year, so water officials expected violations to rise when tougher rules kicked in.
- They also worry recent rain will convince residents the drought is over.
So how is Aurora Water catching scofflaws?
The meters are tattling.
- Aurora Water uses Badger Meter's smart-water system, which gathers water-use data every 15 minutes through cellular-connected meters.
- The city began connecting meters in 2019, and every customer is now online.
- The data updates three times daily for each account and flows into Aurora Water's software platform, which is available to customers on the EyeOnWater app.
In the room: Aurora Water gave Axios a tour of its digital dashboard quietly watching water move through the city.
- People water "in the middle of the night and don't think anyone will see," Adam Waters, Aurora Water's senior water conservation specialist says. But "we can see you doing what you're not supposed to."
One account we saw showed a leaky toilet running around the clock.
- Another showed spikes that screamed "sprinkler system."
The city can't see exactly what you're doing — but it can make educated guesses.
What they're saying: Waters acknowledges that level of visibility can feel a little "creepy."
- But he says the goal isn't to spy on residents.
Aurora Water's platform doesn't just flag lawn-watering rogues.
- It's also catching leaks before they create monster bills, helping residents save water and enforcing city-approved drought restrictions.
Fun fact: Decades ago, Aurora Water relied on employees driving around to uncover watering outlaws.