Denver Water customers are banned from watering their lawns starting Thursday, and the state’s largest utility is threatening steep fines for those who break the drought-induced rule. The prohibition outlaws lawn watering and the use of spray irrigation at the start of October for the rest of the warm season, though customers can still hand-water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables. Residential customers who break the rule once will face a $500 fine. The fine increases to $1,000 for each subsequent violation and, if the watering does not stop, Denver Water says it will shut off the customer’s water service. The utility — which serves 1.5 million people across metro Denver — has sent postcards to customers warning them about the ban and the potential fines. Those postcards served as warnings, according to a Denver Water press release.

Other Colorado drought news:

• Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): Denver Water to reduce Fraser River flows amid extreme drought
• Kiowa County Press (Eads, Colo.): Heavy rain trims Colorado drought, but extreme conditions persist