Welcome to Pagosa Area Water & Sanitation District

June 22, 2026

The PAWSD Drought Management Plan (DMP) sets trigger points for Voluntary drought procedures and four mandatory drought restriction stages from Low through Severe.

The trigger points for Stage 2 – Moderate drought restrictions are any one of the following: Water level in Hatcher Reservoir, flow in the San Juan River, and the drought condition as listed in the National Integrated Drought Information System for our area.

The goal of Stage 2 – Moderate drought restrictions is to reduce water consumption throughout the District by 20 - 30% and encourage water conservation. Stage 2 – Moderate water use restrictions include: Irrigation limited to 9 PM - 9 AM; odd-numbered addresses may irrigate only on odd-numbered calendar days; even-numbered addresses may irrigate only on even-numbered days; irrigation is prohibited on weekends; gardens (e.g., edible and ornamental) may be hand-watered using a hose or drip irrigation; restaurants shall serve water only upon the request; and hotels are encouraged to replace towels and bed linens for new guests and at the request of existing guests.

More info:

-April 6, 2026 - PAWSD entered Voluntary drought restrictions because of San Juan River Flows, NOAA Extreme Drought designation, and SWE.
-April 9, 2026 – Regular Board Meeting, the PAWSD Board of Directors voted unanimously to enter Drought Stage 1 – Low, per the PAWSD DMP, once the SWE reaches zero. The SWE dropped to zero on April 22nd, 2026.
-June 11, 2026 – Regular Board Meeting, the PAWSD Board of Directors voted unanimously to enter Drought Stage 2 – Moderate, per the PAWSD DMP, once Hatcher Reservoir and/or San Juan River conditions require such declaration.
-A water rate adjustment of 2.0 times the standard tier rate is in effect for residential usage of more than 4,000 gallons a month. This can mean rate increases. This will begin on July 1, 2026. NOTE: There is no tier-rate adjustment or surcharge for commercial users or residential usage under 4,000 gallons per month at Stage 2 – Moderate.

Sign up for Dropcountr to track water use and receive alerts! Instructions for setting up your account are on the PAWSD website https://www.pawsd.org/customer-care/water-monitoring-dropcountr/. Please call the PAWSD office at 970-731-2691 if you have questions or need assistance setting up your Dropcountr account.

The current Drought Management Plan and Mandatory Water Use Restriction Table can be found on the PAWSD website at https://www.pawsd.org/water-service/water-conservation/. To download the 2026 Drought Management Plan, click here. To download the 2026 Drought Management Mandatory Water Use Restriction Table, click here.