Thousands in Colorado are ratting on their neighbors for watering their lawns in a drought — would you?

“It’s a drought. Use only what you need,” the Denver Water utility proclaims on its website. The rules for residential outdoor water use are clear: “mandatory outdoor watering restrictions of two days per week on assigned days.”

The utility has declared a Stage 1 drought and is asking customers to reduce their indoor and outdoor water use by 20%. But some Denverites aren’t heeding the outdoor watering restrictions, which has led to a surge in neighbors reporting on those who are breaking the rules.

Report thy neighbor

According to the Washington Post, more than 4,000 individuals have reported rule-breaking neighbors to Denver Water. The Post adds that Denverites have so far failed to hit the water utility’s 20% goal, with only a 5% reduction in water use by mid-July.

“Our yard would look so much better if everyone else’s grass was also dead,” Keifer Hunniford, a Denverite who has let his lawn die amid the drought, told the Post.

The report says that so far, 3,400 customers have been contacted by the utility so they can be educated on the water restrictions. The utility can charge for watering violations, though a warning is the first step. A second violation can lead to a $250 fine, a third can cost you $500 and a fourth would mean a $1,000 fine.

Denver Water has issued three formal citations “that could result in fines” so far, the Post reports.

Save water, save money

To signal to customers just how important it is to conserve water, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners even took the extraordinary step this April of implementing temporary drought pricing for outdoor water use.

Alan Salazar, Denver Water’s CEO, said in an article on the utility’s website that the move “is not a step we take lightly.”

“It is one of many tools Denver Water has available — when needed — to respond to drought conditions, encourage customers to conserve our water supply and ensure our ongoing ability to operate and maintain the system,” said Salazar.