Bellevue, WA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

200 prohibits the waste of water supplied by the utility at all times, and defines waste to include continuous application of water to lawns or landscaping that results in excessive puddling or runoff, failure to repair leaking water service lines or irrigation systems, and application of water to impervious surfaces for anything other than cleaning. The prohibition is standing law, not tied to a shortage declaration, and applies to every utility customer year-round. 205 layers on a water budget requirement: whenever new or modified landscaping is required by the Land Use Code or proposed voluntarily, a state-registered landscape architect, certified professional horticulturist, or Washington-certified landscaper must certify that estimated annual water use will not exceed the irrigation water budget calculated under the utility's engineering standards, with supporting calculations filed with the utility.

Single-family residential lots are exempt, except for developer-installed community area landscaping, as are projects with less than 500 square feet of total landscape area and areas irrigated from a source other than the utility. Certain public and public-access athletic turf can also be exempted if the applicant documents the added water need. Once installed, the landscaping must be operated and maintained so the certified annual water budget is not exceeded. 270(F). 250(A)(1)(i) separately provides for temporary lawn watering permits issued during a declared shortage.