Westminster has turned City Hall’s lawn into a highly visible piece of water policy.

Outdoor irrigation consumes approximately half of the Colorado city’s water supply annually—and about two-thirds of demand on the highest-use summer days. To reduce that pressure, Westminster removed nonfunctional turf at its City Hall complex and replaced it with a water-wise landscape expected to conserve at least 1.5 million gallons each year.

Drew Beckwith of the City of Westminster says the location was intentional: the site sits at a major intersection, receives heavy foot traffic, and gives residents a prominent, real-world example of how conventional lawn can be redesigned for Colorado’s arid climate.

The completed project replaced irrigation-intensive grass with climate-appropriate plants, native grasses, pollinator habitat, and walking connections. Many of the plants were grown at the city greenhouse, giving Westminster greater control over cost and plant selection.

The broader strategy is to make conservation tangible. Rather than relying only on rebates or instructions, Westminster has used public property to demonstrate what a functional, attractive Colorado landscape can look like—and what residents can recreate at home.

Episode at https://youtu.be/f3vx3ktOIQI?si=xzHvV6k5EV4W99a_

This video is from Resilience In The Rockies, a series produced by waterloop in collaboration with WaterNow, supported by a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and sponsored by PCL Construction, Norris Design, Merrick, and the City of Greeley.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability. Visit https://www.waterloop.org/

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