DENVER -- Colorado's historic drought has caused several more cities to take drastic measures to conserve water.

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Low-water levels in Bear Creek Basin have forced the Evergreen Metropolitan District and the Genesee Water and Sanitation District to ban all outdoor lawn watering, effective immediately.

This ban affects residents living in Bergen Park, El Rancho, Evergreen, Kittredge and Genesee.

Evergreen Ban

Residents served by the Evergreen Metropolitan Water District will be allowed to water their plants, shrubs and flowers, but only with a handheld hose that has a shut-off nozzle, the water district said.

Letters were sent Monday to the 15,000 customers who are affected by the ban, water officials said.

Any home that uses more than 15,000 gallons of water during a billing period will be charged $20 for every 1,000 gallons of water over that limit, the district said.

People found watering their lawns during the ban will be fined $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, $250 for the third and $500 for subsequent offenses.

"A Level 4 Drought has been declared, effective immediately, due to the fact that the flow from Bear Creek is insufficient to allow water to flow over the Evergreen Dam. Therefore the District is using its emergency supply: Evergreen Lake," said the district in its letter.

Once there is continuous 24-hour water flow over Evergreen Dam, the ban will be lifted and residents can resume watering every third day, depending on the diamond, circle, square watering schedule used by most cities.

Updates on the drought status can be found by calling (303) 674-8820 or at www.evergreenmetrodistrict.com.

No Outdoor Watering In Genesee

The 1,300 homes served by the Genesee Water and Sanitation District will not be allowed to do any outside watering -- not even on flowers and shrubs.

That means swimming pools and hot tubs cannot be filled and waterfalls and fountains cannot operate in that area. Residents will also not be allowed to wash cars, driveways or patios.

When the ban is lifted, residents can resume watering twice a week on their scheduled watering days.

Any person who is caught watering during the ban will pay $100 for the first offense, $300 for the second and $500 for the third offense. A fourth violation could result in a $1,000 fine or an end to water service until the drought situation has improved, the Genesee Water and Sanitation District said.

"Without rain showers in the basin, we are rapidly approaching this serious condition and we are asking for your help or we will be facing the alternative -- which is no water," the district said in its letter.

Other Towns And Their Water Measures

Lack of water is causing problems for a small mountain town in the southern part of the state, as well.

Water sources for the town of Beulah have dried up and now the 1,000 residents are relying on bottled water and water being trucked in from elsewhere.

Gov. Bill Owens said a water tanker will fill the town's 2,000-gallon tank as often as needed.

Folks on the Western slope could wind up paying more taxes if they want more water.

Voters in 15 Western slope counties including Grand, Summit and Eagle will be asked in November to approve a property tax increase to raise money for several water projects.

The tax would mean an additional $2.30 for every $100,000 in home value and would last for 20 years. The tax would raise $2.5 million a year, officials said.