As Colorado heads into summer with severe drought and historically low snowpack, Denver is still moving forward with opening its outdoor public pools, treating them as essential infrastructure rather than optional recreation.
“Our rec centers open up as cooling centers whenever the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment announces very high heat risk,” said Stephanie Figueroa with Denver Parks and Recreation. “It’s our duty as the city to provide those opportunities for people to cool off.”
Despite mounting pressure to conserve water, city officials say outdoor pool operations — while starting slightly later than usual on June 8 instead of Memorial Day weekend — won’t be scaled back.
Instead, Denver Parks and Recreation says it will meet the city requested 20% water reduction target by cutting use in other parts of the system.
“We have some areas in the parks that we're going to be watering less. Places where there is less recreational use,” said Figueroa.
It’s part of a broader shift in how cities think about water in a hotter climate: the idea being, not all uses are equal, and some can actually help cut water waste elsewhere.
“The way we think of pools is they provide essential cooling,” Figueroa said. “They give residents a place to stay cool during the hottest months, without needing to fill their own backyard pools or run lawn sprinklers.”
The state as a whole is entering the summer season under significant water strain.
According to data from the Department of Natural Resources released this week, Colorado’s snowpack is just 17% of normal statewide and nearly half the state is experiencing extreme drought.
Still, state water regulators don’t single out pools as a unique concern.
“Water activities around homes and in communities, such as pools, car washes and landscaping, are part of the municipal use of water,” said a Colorado Division of Water Resources spokesperson in an email.
The division said it considers these activities as standard, even in a drought, and ultimately leaves decisions about limiting their use up to local utilities and governments.
In Denver, families without air conditioning or access to private recreation are able to access other ways to escape the heat.
The city views the ability to cool off at a public pool as necessary. It’s also been made affordable. For kids ages 5-18, admission is free through the city’s My Denver Card program.
As temperatures climb this week and into the summer months, officials expect demand to follow.
“The hotter it gets, the more packed the pools become,” Figueroa said.
For now, there are no additional plans to change outdoor pool operations because of the drought. All 16 outdoor pools in Denver will remain operational through Labor Day weekend once opened.
