Caldwell, ID Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Caldwell's main water-conservation lever for landscaping is its irrigation requirement, not seasonal day-of-week watering bans. Caldwell City Code Section 10-07-12 (Irrigation), part of the Caldwell Landscaping Ordinance in Chapter 10, Article 7, requires that all wet landscaped areas be equipped with a pressurized irrigation pump station and an automatic pressurized irrigation system built to Caldwell Municipal Irrigation District (CMID) standards, using the existing surface or well irrigation water right if one exists. New developments and subdivisions must rely on a non-potable water source for all irrigation and watering and must construct and dedicate pressurized irrigation facilities to the city in compliance with city and CMID standards. This keeps treated culinary water off lawns. Where a property lacks a surface or well water right, and after documented diligent effort to obtain shallow irrigation well rights, the city engineer and Planning and Zoning Department may approve a dry-landscaping plan instead. Because irrigation in much of Caldwell comes from the irrigation district rather than the city culinary system, watering schedules are often tied to CMID's seasonal water delivery (typically spring through fall) rather than a city mandatory-restriction calendar. Residents on city water should follow any conservation guidance issued by the utility.