Outdoor Water Conservation Programs
Stage 1 drought declared
Denver Water recently declared a Stage 1 drought, and most of the water districts serving Lakewood residents receive their water from Denver Water. The districts are also in Denver Water’s service area and follow Denver Water’s watering restrictions. Those restrictions limit watering to two days a week as determined by your address, and watering on those days can only occur from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. Keep automatic sprinkler systems off until mid-to-late May. Hand-water trees and shrubs if needed. Please review Denver Water’s summer watering rules, and contact your local water district provider for additional details.
Save water and money with Lakewood’s Outdoor Water Conservation Program! The city offers several incentives to help you reduce water use and transform your yard into a beautiful, vibrant, native Colorado landscape. Lakewood residents are eligible regardless of water utility provider.
Why are we offering this? Outdoor irrigation accounts for about half of all water use in the community. Improving water efficiency and practicing water conservation are key to ensuring that we all have enough water to sustain our community. The City of Lakewood has adopted targets to reduce communitywide water use. Learn more about Lakewood’s sustainability goals in the Lakewood Sustainability Plan.
If you have questions about the Outdoor Water Conservation Program, please contact sustainability@LakewoodCO.gov.
Outdoor Water Efficiency Incentives 2026
In partnership with Resource Central, we are offering discounted Garden In A Box kits, free sprinkler evaluations, and $750 discounts on lawn replacement. Quantities are limited, so we encourage community members to sign up early.
Garden in a Box Discount - Open on March 11, 2026
Garden In A Box Discount - Opens March 11, 2026
This program is available to Lakewood residential properties. When signing up Select "City of Lakewood resident" as your water utility. If City of Lakewood resident discounts are sold out, please select “Jefferson County.”
Incentive: $25 discount on Garden In a Box kits, with an additional discount for income-qualified households.
How to sign up: Visit the Garden In a Box website. Select "City of Lakewood resident" as your water utility.
Professionally designed for Colorado yards, these pre-assembled kits are super easy to install and can help you save around 7,300 gallons of water over the garden’s lifetime compared to a traditional grass lawn (not to mention helping you save on your water bill!).
Income-Qualified $100 discount: Lakewood households may receive a $100 discount on Garden in a Box kits if their maximum household income limits do not exceed 80% of area median income as set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and indicated in the following table:
| Household Size |
Income Limit |
| 1 |
$72,950 |
| 2 |
$83,400 |
| 3 |
$93,800 |
| 4 |
$104,200 |
| 5 |
$112,550 |
| 6 |
$120,900 |
| 7 |
$129,250 |
| 8 |
$137,550 |
Quantities of Income-Qualified discounts are limited. Click here to submit an Income-Qualified discount application.
Free Slow the Flow Sprinkler Evaluation - Now available for sign-ups
This program is available to Lakewood residential households, HOAs, and non-residential properties. Just like a car, your sprinklers need an
occasional check-up to make sure they’re working as efficiently as possible. Get your system checked with a free Slow the Flow sprinkler evaluation by Resource Central. Each sprinkler evaluation only lasts about 75 minutes, could save you 1,000s of gallons of water annually, and could help keep your lawn healthy.
Incentive: Free sprinkler system evaluations with recommendations to improve efficiency and reduce water waste.
How to Sign Up: Visit the Slow the Flow website or call 303-999-3824 to join the interest list for a free sprinkler evaluation this summer. Select "City of Lakewood" as your water utility.
Lawn Replacement $750 Discount - Open on March 9, 2026
This program is available to Lakewood residential properties. The City of Lakewood and Resource Central want to help you transform your thirsty lawn into a beautiful, low-water landscape! Participants can get up to a $750 discount toward a project using the Lawn Removal Service. All you have to do is apply online. After that, you’ll have a phone consultation with a Resource Central xeriscape advisor and be ready to remove some lawn!
If the discounts are sold out, sign up for the Lawn Replacement Program Interest List.
Incentive: $750 credit toward lawn removal services.
How to Sign Up: Visit the Lawn Replacement Program website or call 303-999-3820 ext. 221 to enroll. Select "City of Lakewood" as your water utility.
FAQs
Do I qualify if my water utility is not the City of Lakewood?
Yes, if you are a Lakewood resident, you qualify for the Garden in a Box, Slow the Flow and Lawn Replacement incentives. Select “City of Lakewood” as your water utility provider.
I previously replaced my lawn with xeriscaping. Can I receive a rebate for that work?
No, the incentives are only available for work that has not yet been started.
Can I stack discounts from my water utility?
No, if your water utility is providing the same program discount or incentive as what the city is offering, you will only receive one discount.
My water provider is giving the same discount for the program I’m interested in. Who should I select as my water utility when signing up?
Select your water utility if they are providing the same service and discount. If the discount is no longer available or is not offered by your water utility, then select “City of Lakewood” as your water utility provider to receive the discount.
Outdoor Water Education Resources
Free Waterwise Yard Seminars
The City of Lakewood is a proud sponsor of Resource Central’s 2026 Waterwise Yard Seminars. These online seminars are available at no cost to Lakewood residents and taught by local landscape professionals. Seminar topics range from low-water landscape design, xeric plant selection, smart irrigation, and more. Visit the Waterwise Yard Seminars website to view the full list of 2026 webinars.
Residential Outdoor Water Conservation Guide
The Residential Outdoor Water Conservation Guide is a resource to help Lakewood single-family households reduce outdoor water use and lower water utility bills. Water conservation is essential to ensure Lakewood remains a vibrant community for generations to come.
Download Guide (English)(PDF, 4MB) Download Guide (Spanish)(PDF, 4MB)
Limited print copies are available by contacting sustainability@LakewoodCO.gov.
HOA Water Conservation Toolkit
This toolkit will provide helpful content and resources for Homeowner Associations to conserve water and for HOA Managers and Board Members to share water conservation content with their residents. The toolkit will be posted here when it is available.