Auburn, WA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Auburn, WA, 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 chapter
- ACC 13.14, water shortage emergency response
- Who triggers restrictions
- Mayor's proclamation, ratified by council
- Variance appeal window
- 24 hours to the mayor
- First violation
- Civil infraction under Ch. 1.25 ACC
- Repeat violation
- Misdemeanor, up to 90 days jail/$1,000 fine
Summary
Auburn has no standing odd/even watering-day schedule. Instead, the mayor can order water use restrictions and conservation measures under ACC 13.14.020 during a drought, utility damage, or other threat to supply, subject to city council ratification, with violations enforced as civil infractions or, on repeat, misdemeanors.
The mayor may order water use restrictions and conservation measures when necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare during a water shortage or emergency caused by drought conditions, city water utility damage or destruction, or any other cause threatening to disrupt or diminish the city's water supply below its ability to meet normal water demands. ... The first violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a civil infraction... For any second or subsequent violation... the violator may be charged as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in jail for a maximum term fixed by the court of not more than 90 days, or a fine in an amount fixed by the court of not more than $1,000, or both.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020 authorizes the mayor to order water use restrictions and conservation measures when necessary to protect public health, safety, and welfare during a water shortage or emergency caused by drought conditions, city water utility damage or destruction, or any other cause threatening the city's ability to meet normal water demand. 030(A), the mayor's proclamation directs the public works department to implement restrictions, identifies the affected geographic area and duration where reasonably determinable, and must be presented to the city council at the earliest practicable time for ratification, modification, or rejection; a rejected proclamation becomes void. 030(B)). 030(C)). 050(B)).
Violations & Fines
ACC 13.14.060 lets the public works director, code enforcement officers, or police officers enforce the chapter. A first violation is a civil infraction under Chapter 1.25 ACC and RCW 7.80.120(1)(a), processed under Chapter 7.80 RCW and the Infraction Rules for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. A second or subsequent violation can be charged as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Auburn have fixed watering days for lawns and gardens?
Can I get an exception to Auburn's water use restrictions?
What's the penalty for violating a water use restriction in Auburn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
How Auburn compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Auburn to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle water restrictions.