The agency received 840 reports of water waste in less than two weeks, according to figures released Oct. 14. Most violations involved residential properties. Fines for residences range from $500 to $1,000.

The restrictions have also coincided with a sharp decline in water use: Denver Water customers used 34% less water than the five-year average for the same period, the utility said.

Violations rose in October compared with previous months, communications manager Travis Thompson said in an email, citing record-breaking heat and dry conditions through the summer and increased enforcement.

Denver Water has not shut off any customers’ water under the October ban. A shutoff can follow a third violation, according to the utility. The restrictions will remain until the water board decides lawn watering can resume.

The conservation effort comes as reservoirs serving the metro area are about 67% full, compared with a typical 90% at this point in the year. If dry conditions persist, Denver Water expects storage to fall to about 60% by next spring.

“Every customer’s conservation efforts remain especially important as we work together to stretch our storage supplies heading into the winter,” said Greg Fisher, the utility’s manager of demand planning.

Officials have warned that even a strong winter may not be enough to refill reservoirs. Thompson said a snowpack exceeding 150% of normal, paired with strong spring runoff, would be needed to fully replenish supplies. The utility said it has not seen that kind of winter in 30 years.

The last time reservoir storage was this low was after the 2002 drought, when overall storage reached 50%, according to Denver Water. A March 2003 blizzard helped refill the reservoirs.

“We want to make sure people don’t let their guard down as we head into fall, because our reservoirs are still low,” Thompson said.