Tim York sees Aurora residents watering their lawns on those extra days when they aren’t supposed to, even when their illegal watering happens at 4 a.m. … This surveillance is powered by smart water meters installed last year on homes in Aurora. They transmit data every 15 minutes via cell signal. York’s team automatically gets a spreadsheet each week of thousands of likely outdoor watering violations. Humans verify the data before sending warnings or fines. … Millions of Coloradans remain under strict water restrictions because of historic drought. Failing to conserve could mean empty reservoirs, and even harsher restrictions. … But for all the help computers are giving Aurora, its water future is still in the hands of Mother Nature. 

Other drought impact news:

• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Colorado’s drought isn’t impacting water access to fight wildfires, officials say
• Wyoming Tribune Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.): Farmers gamble on water as drought grips Big Horn County
• The Denver Post (Colo.): Colorado still has some summer river flows fit for rafting — even in severe drought. Here’s why.
• The Journal (Cortez, Colo.): Opinion: Protecting Southwest Colorado: Wildfires, water and our way of life