Water Use Ordinances

Why all the rules?

Sure, rules are a nuisance, but so is drought. In an arid climate, risk of drought means water is a resource communities cannot afford to waste. Unless water use is conscientiously regulated, the entire community could face severe shortages to the point where even drinking water becomes scarce. Conservation ordinances are in place to guide community members in the most efficient ways use a valuable resource. Because landscape watering is one of the biggest consumers of water, local landscaping ordinances have been established for residential areas. In most areas, a violation of these ordinances is considered misdemeanors punishable by a fine that can run into thousands of dollars.

Some common regulations

• Residential landscape watering is often limited to three days a week and watering time is typically divided up according to house number. For example, even-number addresses may be allowed to water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and odd-number addresses allowed to water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. In this case, watering on Monday may be prohibited entirely.

  Because newly planted landscapes and turf require extra water to become established, your local water authority may grant you a permit for extra watering if you've just built your landscape.

• Landscape watering via spray sprinklers is often allowed only during certain times of the day. This is especially true during the high season (April through October in the southwestern US). Watering may be allowed only before 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. This time limit typically applies only to spray-type sprinklers and to hosing down pavement. Drip irrigation systems or hand watering may still be allowed during the rest of the day. Although the intent of this time limit is to minimize water use during peak periods, watering during these times is also healthier for your plants. Water applied to plants during the heat of the day can become too hot and damage plants' roots.
• Excess run-off and puddling from hoses, sprinklers, faucets, or any other irrigation system may be prohibited. Water spraying or flowing into streets or sidewalks is also frequently prohibited.
• It's often prohibited to leave leaks unrepaired. Typically a leak must be repaired within five to ten working days after you discover it.
• During declared times of drought, non-essential use of water may be prohibited or limited. This means garden fountains must be turned off and water may not be used to fill inground or above ground swimming pools or decorative ponds and pools.
• Construction of pools, fountains and other non-essential features that consume water may be regulated for water efficiency. Swimming pools may have to be kept covered when not in use and be fitted with an efficient filtration system. Often, water used in fountains must be recycled and the fountain must have a catch basin to capture water spray that would otherwise fall to the ground and be wasted.

Know your local ordinances

No two areas have quite the same water conditions, so ordinances and regulations vary from city to city. Time of year and whether or not a drought is expected also affects water use regulations. To keep up with these ordinances, check in with your local water authority about the most water-efficient ways to keep your landscape healthy.