If you’ve lived in Colorado Springs for more than one season, you already know the rule: the weather here doesn’t follow the calendar. A 70-degree afternoon in April can turn into a hard freeze by morning. An October that feels like September can drop to 28°F without warning. For your sprinkler system, that unpredictability isn’t just inconvenient — it’s expensive if you ignore it.

This guide covers exactly when to turn your system on, when to shut it down, what’s included in each service, and why getting the timing right matters more in Colorado Springs than in almost any other city on the Front Range.

When to Turn On Your Sprinkler System in Colorado Springs

The rule of thumb we follow at Outdoor Projects is simple: wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently staying above 32°F before activating your system. In Colorado Springs, that window typically opens between late April and mid-May.

At 6,000+ feet elevation, late-spring frosts are not unusual into mid-May. If you activate your system too early and a freeze hits, the residual water in your lines and heads can freeze, expand, and crack — costing you hundreds in repairs right at the start of the season. The few extra weeks of waiting are almost always worth it.

What’s Included in a Professional Spring Startup

A proper startup is more than just turning the water back on. When our team performs a spring irrigation startup, here’s what we cover:

• Pressurizing the system and checking for line damage from winter
• Testing every zone for correct operation and even coverage
• Inspecting all sprinkler heads for damage, clogging, or misalignment
• Checking valves and connections for leaks
• Servicing the backflow preventer (required annually by Colorado Springs Utilities)
• Reprogramming the controller for the current Colorado Springs Utilities seasonal watering schedule
• Adjusting spray patterns to account for any landscape changes since last fall

The backflow preventer step is one homeowners often skip when doing a DIY startup — and it’s also the one that can get you flagged by the city. Colorado Springs Utilities requires annual backflow device inspection and testing on all systems connected to the municipal supply. We handle this as part of every startup.

Colorado Springs Watering Restrictions: What You Need to Know

Before your first watering cycle of the season, your controller needs to be programmed around Colorado Springs Utilities seasonal restrictions. Generally, outdoor irrigation is limited to specific days per week based on your address (typically two to three days) and is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to reduce evaporation loss during peak heat hours.

Restrictions are generally in effect from May through October. Outdoor Projects programs every controller we service to automatically comply with current restrictions — so you’re not thinking about it, and you’re not accidentally running your system during a prohibited window.

When to Winterize Your Sprinkler System in Colorado Springs

This is the one that catches homeowners off guard every single year. Colorado Springs can have a mild October that feels like summer — and then hit a hard freeze the first week of November with no warning. By then, if your lines still have water in them, the damage is done.

Our firm recommendation: schedule your sprinkler winterization blowout no later than mid-October. If you want to be conservative and protect your system completely, the second or third week of October is the sweet spot — before the first freeze risk gets serious, while also giving your lawn the last few watering cycles it needs before dormancy.

What a Sprinkler Winterization Blowout Includes

Winterization is done with compressed air — not just shutting off the water supply valve. Here’s why that matters: when you turn off the main water, there’s still residual water sitting in every underground line, head, and valve. In a Colorado freeze, that water expands and can crack PVC pipes, split valve bodies, and pop head casings. A blowout evacutes all of it.

Our winterization service includes:

• Compressed-air blowout of every zone, ensuring all lines are cleared of standing water
• Shutting off the main irrigation water supply
• Draining and insulating exposed components
• Shutting down and protecting the controller
• A zone-by-zone check to confirm complete evacuation before we leave

Should You Repair or Replace Your Sprinkler System?

After a Colorado winter, it’s common to fire up the system in spring and find one or two zones that aren’t behaving. That doesn’t always mean you need a full replacement — in fact, most issues we diagnose are targeted repairs that are completed in a single visit.

Signs a repair is typically enough: one broken head, a single zone with pressure issues, a leaking valve, or a controller that won’t connect. Signs a full replacement may be worth considering: a system more than 20 years old with repeated failures across multiple zones, widespread underground leaks, or an outdated layout that leaves major dry spots no matter how you adjust the heads.

At Outdoor Projects, we always give you an honest assessment. We’re not going to recommend a new system when a $150 repair will do the job for another five seasons.

Whether you’re setting up a new season or heading into winter, your sprinkler system deserves more than a quick turn of the valve. A professionally serviced system wastes less water, stays compliant with Colorado Springs Utilities restrictions, and protects the investment you’ve made in your landscape. Learn more about our sprinkler maintenance services or reach out to schedule your startup or winterization today.