Burlington, WI Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

The City of Burlington's water supply is a municipal utility, and Chapter 304's General Provisions give the Mayor emergency authority over lawn watering. I, added by Ordinance No. 1215(14) in 1988, lets the Mayor impose a lawn sprinkling ban whenever the Water Utility asks for one, on whatever terms and conditions the Mayor decides are necessary. The ordinance does not spell out trigger thresholds like reservoir levels or pump capacity; the decision is left to the Mayor's judgment after the Utility raises the concern, which typically happens during peak summer demand when the system's wells and mains are stressed by irrigation draw.

I(2) protects a narrower category of watering: residents and other users of the City municipal water system may still water gardens, shrubs and trees. That carve-out means the ban functions as a restriction on broadcast lawn sprinkling rather than a total outdoor watering shutoff. The Utility Division, part of the Department of Public Works, administers the ban once the Mayor signs off, and enforcement runs through the Police Department and Utility staff who can act on complaints or observed sprinkler use during a declared ban period.

I(3), amended in 2008 by Ordinance No. 1868(10), requires that a first offense receive only a warning, with no fine attached. A second or later violation exposes the violator to the general penalty set out in Chapter 1, § 1-4 of the Municipal Code, which the Utility can pursue through a municipal citation.