Apple Valley, MN Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Apple Valley, MN, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Apple Valley Code of Ordinances § 51.05(G)
- Banned irrigation hours
- 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Restriction season
- May 1 through September 30 each calendar year
- Who is covered
- City water users, private wells, ponds, and lakes
- Yard exception
- Area with new sod or trees planted during the current calendar year
- Emergency trigger
- Governor's executive order declaring a critical water deficiency
Summary
In the City of Apple Valley, Minnesota, § 51.05(G) makes it unlawful to water for irrigation between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from May 1 through September 30 each year. The same limits bind private wells, ponds, and lakes, and a declared water emergency triggers a broader ban on outdoor use.
(G) Water use restrictions. Pursuant to the authority of the Minnesota Statutes governing water demand reduction measures, and in order to conserve water, every water user is required to comply with the following restrictions: (1) Hours/limitations. It shall be unlawful to water for irrigation purposes between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. between May 1 and September 30 each calendar year. ... (3) Private wells. Private well owners are subject to the same water use restrictions as users of the municipal water supply. (4) Ponds and lakes. Property owners withdrawing water from ponds and lakes for irrigation purposes are subject to the same water use restrictions as users of the municipal water supply. (5) Exceptions. The seasonal water use restrictions under division (1) above shall not apply to the following: (a) The immediate area of a yard that contains new sod laid or trees planted during the current calendar year;
Full Breakdown
The rule is § 51.05(G) of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances, enacted by the Apple Valley City Council under the Minnesota Statutes governing water demand reduction measures. Every water user must comply. Division (1) sets the seasonal limit: it is unlawful to water for irrigation purposes between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. between May 1 and September 30 each calendar year. Irrigation is defined in (6)(b) as the watering of shrubs, trees, sod, seeded areas, gardens, lawns, or any other outdoor vegetation, except outdoor vegetation utilized for agricultural purposes, with any in-ground irrigation system, mechanical sprinkler attached to a hose or an unattended hose.
The limit is not tied to the city water meter. Under (3), private well owners are subject to the same water use restrictions as users of the municipal water supply, and under (4), property owners withdrawing water from ponds and lakes for irrigation are subject to the same restrictions.
Three exceptions to the seasonal limit are printed in (5): the immediate area of a yard that contains new sod laid or trees planted during the current calendar year; agricultural or horticultural operations, meaning any commercial operation which grows or sells plants for commercial purposes, limited to irrigating the commercial plants; and golf course and city park critical maintenance operations, meaning the use of water immediately following the application of fertilizer to turf and the use of water to syringe a golf course, but excluding routine turf irrigation.
Division (2) adds expanded restrictions in the event of a system failure or upon declaration of a water emergency and notification to the public, in effect until notice is posted for termination. A water emergency is the declaration of a critical water deficiency by the governor by executive order, and notification means posting at city hall or the official city bulletin board plus local media announcements. During an emergency, outdoor irrigation of yards, gardens, golf courses, and parklands is prohibited, as are washing paved areas with pressurized water, outdoor water-based play apparatus, outdoor misting systems, filling swimming pools, fountains and spas, and washing vehicles except at facilities with wash water recirculation systems. Restaurants are prohibited from serving water unless the customer requests it. The section was most recently amended by Ord. 1136, passed 10-24-24.
Violations & Fines
The section ends with "Penalty, see § 10.99." A watering violation is punishable on conviction by a fine up to the maximum for a misdemeanor set forth in M.S. Chapter 609, imprisonment up to that misdemeanor maximum, or both, and each day the violation occurs or continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours is lawn watering banned in Apple Valley, Minnesota?
Do private wells have to follow the watering limit?
Is new sod exempt from the watering restriction?
What changes when Apple Valley declares a water emergency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apple Valley
How Apple Valley compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Apple Valley to another location·View the Minnesota landscaping rules overview
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