Bloomington, IN Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Bloomington, IN, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Who declares
- Mayor and utilities director
- Trigger
- Fire, flood, drought, emergency
- Notice method
- Newspaper of general circulation
- Always exempt
- Household use, fire purposes
- Irrigation rate
- $10.92 per 1,000 gallons
Summary
In the City of Bloomington, the mayor and the utilities director can declare emergency water-use restrictions during a fire, flood, drought, or other emergency under Bloomington Municipal Code Section 9.04.020. Once the city publishes notice, it becomes unlawful to use water for whatever purposes the notice names, except for household use and firefighting, which stay unrestricted.
In the event of fire, flood, drought or other emergency, the mayor and the utilities director shall provide notice of the emergency by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the city. After notice has been given, it shall be unlawful to use water for any and all purposes specified in the notice, except domestic household use and fire purposes.
Full Breakdown
04 (General Rules) of Title 9 (Water), gives the mayor and the utilities director joint authority to impose water-use restrictions during fire, flood, drought or other emergency affecting the Bloomington Water Utility. The mechanism is public notice, not a permit or a fixed watering-day schedule: the city must publish notice of the emergency in a newspaper of general circulation before any restriction takes legal effect. Once notice runs, using water for any purpose the notice specifies becomes unlawful citywide, with two standing carve-outs the ordinance protects regardless of what the notice says: domestic household use and fire purposes.
That means outdoor irrigation, the use case most likely to be named in a drought notice, has no independent statutory protection once the utility invokes this section. 040 limits fire hydrants and fire lines to fire purposes except when the utility authorizes a temporary connection in writing. 31 residential rate, so irrigation customers already pay a premium before any emergency notice even goes out.
Violations & Fines
Using water for a purpose named in an emergency notice under Section 9.04.020, after the city has published that notice, is unlawful citywide, with no exception for irrigation or landscaping once the notice covers it. Only domestic household use and fire purposes stay lawful regardless of what the notice restricts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Bloomington restrict lawn watering during a drought?
Does Bloomington publish a fixed watering-day schedule?
Is there a penalty for using restricted water during a declared emergency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
How Bloomington compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Bloomington to another location·View the Indiana landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.