DENVER -- There's bad news for the 1.1 million customers who get their water from Denver's reservoirs.

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Denver Water managers are seriously considering outlawing all lawn watering beginning Oct. 1 and continuing the ban through at least next spring. The ban could last into next summer if the state doesn't get much snow this winter, officials warned.

Water board members also tentatively agreed on Wednesday evening to cut watering hours from three hours on designated days to two hours beginning Sept. 1. They will also prohibit all lawn watering on Sundays beginning in September.

Consumers whose circle-diamond-square watering day falls on those Sundays will simply have to skip watering and wait until their turn comes again, managers said.

Some landscape experts say an Oct. 1 cutoff could harm lawns because that's when the root systems dig in for winter.

The board also said it would consider moving up its drought surcharge to Sept. 1, meaning some consumers will pay up to 30 percent more for their water.

The additional bans and restrictions come after board members learned that water users aren't doing their part to save water. Consumers have fallen back to saving only 16 percent rather than the 30 percent needed to help in the drought situation, said Ed Pokorne of Denver Water.

SURVEY What do you think of an all-out ban on lawn watering in October? Great idea. Anything we can do to help conserve water. It stinks. Surely my lawn will be dead next year. My lawn is already dead so it doesn't really matter. Results  |  Disclaimer

A final vote on the water changes will come Aug. 21.

Aurora's Water Department faces far more alarming conditions than Denver, 7NEWS reported.

Next summer, Aurora could triple water rates for some consumers if they use more water than the previous year.

Unless Aurora institutes a radical surcharge program, another dry winter could force the city to ban lawn watering altogether next summer and let the lawns die.

Also this week, Colorado Springs cut lawn watering back to two days a week and raised fines for violating the restrictions.