# Aurora uses smart meters to catch illegal lawn watering 2026-08-13T09:45:49+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Aurora, Colorado, has sent more than 2,500 warning letters and issued 234 fines for breaking drought rules, using smart water meters that record usage every 15 minutes. The meters, part of the city’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure, allow Aurora Water to detect when a property waters its lawn on a third day in a week, which is not allowed under Stage 1 drought restrictions. With reservoirs only 49% full instead of the usual 80% or more, the city is asking residents to cut outdoor water use by 20%. Residents can also access their own data online to spot leaks. The system helps enforce rules across thousands of properties without relying solely on neighbour reports. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Aurora Colorado, drought, enforcement, smart meters, technology, water conservation Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/aurora-uses-smart-meters-to-catch-illegal-lawn-watering/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/aurora-uses-smart-meters-to-catch-illegal-lawn-watering/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.