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Colorado's 2025 Water Conservation Law and What it Means for Artificial Turf in Colorado
*Note: Statutory language in Colorado law refers to synthetic turf as "artificial turf." For continuity, we will also refer to synthetic turf as "artificial turf" on this page, however, practically these terms are synonymous.
Overview
In May, Governor Polis signed HB25-1113 into law, which clarifies the rules governing certain types of landscape in Colorado, more clearly defining language from a bill signed into law the year before.
The law does not prohibit artificial turf on a statewide level. It offers local municipalities the opportunity to set their own rules around landscaping choices.
What the law does: The law preserves local governments' ability to permit the use of functional artificial turf. More specifically, the law:
Creates definitions for functional and nonfunctional artificial turf, providing flexibility for local governments to determine functional uses of artificial turf when crafting regulations.
Establishes the legality for the use of artificial turf in areas that serve a civic or community function. This includes, but is not limited to, areas such as parks, playgrounds, and golf courses.
Classifies uses for artificial turf in brownfield sites and covers for solid waste facilities as a functional use.
Clarifies that any prohibitions will not impact nonfunctional artificial turf that was installed before the implementation of SB24-005, and how it applies to local control issues.
Key Definitions (as written in the law)
Turf: Means continuous plant coverage consisting of nonnative grasses or grasses that have not been hybridized for arid conditions and which, when regularly mowed, form a dense growth of leaf blades and roots.
Functional Artificial Turf: Means artificial turf that is:
(a) Located in a recreational use area or other space that is regularly used for civic, community, or recreational purposes, which may include a playground, a sports field, a picnic ground, an amphitheater, a portion of a park, and the playing
area of a golf course, such as a driving range, chipping and putting green, tee box, green, fairway, and rough; or
(b) A component of a product designed and approved by a professional engineer for civil infrastructure projects, including but not limited to:
(i) Covers for solid waste facilities and brownfield sites; and
(ii) Revetments for slopes, channels, levees, and dams.
Non-Functional Artificial Turf: Means artificial turf that is not functional artificial turf.
No. HB25-1113 clarifies and reinforces the authority of local governments to regulate different types of landscapes within their communities. It does so by putting clearer definitions on landscape that can be installed by communities, creating
flexibility in how functional artificial turf is defined (nonfunctional turf is anything that is not functional).
Functional artificial turf is broadly defined in statute. It is any artificial turf located in a recreational use area or other space that is regularly used for civic, community, or recreational purposes, which may include anything from a
playground or sports field to picnic areas or a golf course. It is not limited to these examples.
The latest version of the law clarifies that any artificial turf prohibitions will not impact nonfunctional artificial turf that was installed before the law's implementation, which allows communities greater flexibility in preserving previous
landscaping.
By clarifying definitions of functional artificial turf and nonfunctional artificial turf, the law will better align with its intent of water conservation.
No. The bill explicitly states that nothing in the new law requires the removal of existing installations. So, if your nonfunctional artificial turf was already in place before January 1, 2026, you are allowed to maintain it.
Most regulations on installing nonfunctional artificial turf apply beginning January 1, 2026. However, for multifamily residential housing with more than 12 units, the requirements apply January 1, 2028. Local governments are required to update
their regulations by January 1, 2028, as well.
Artificial turf has been proven to greatly reduce water use and water pollution compared to what's needed to support grass systems.
Using artificial turf fields results in dramatic water savings, requiring zero gallons of water per year compared to up to 2.7 million gallons annually for an irrigated sand-based grass field.
For example, schools in Henderson, Nevada, estimate that 2 million gallons of water are saved annually for each field that is converted to artificial turf.
Outdoor water use accounts for a significant portion of household water consumption. The EPA found that U.S. households use nearly 9 billion gallons of water daily for outdoor use—30% of total household water use, rising to 70% in hot
or dry climates.
By avoiding the need to use lawn chemicals to maintain artificial turf fields, nearby water sources are protected from harmful runoff—unlike grass, which requires pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides.
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