Cambridge, MA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Cambridge, MA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Level 1 limit
- One watering day/week, before 9am or after 5pm
- Level 2 limit
- All nonessential outdoor watering banned
- Levels 3-4
- Full ban, no ornamental exception
- First violation
- Warning only
- Fourth+ violation
- $300 fine, each day separate
Summary
Under a drought declaration, Cambridge Municipal Code § 13.08.090 imposes four escalating watering-day tiers: Level 1 limits outdoor watering to one day a week before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m., while Levels 2 through 4 ban nonessential outdoor water use outright, with only hand-held or drip irrigation of ornamentals allowed.
A.The Water Board shall have the power to restrict the use of hand-hose or automatic sprinkler or similar devices to such hours of the day as it may deem necessary pursuant to G.L. c. 41, § 69B, and the City Manager or if designated, the Managing Director of the Water Department, shall limit nonessential outdoor water use during a drought declaration by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the drought region, pursuant to 310 CMR 36.00...a.Level 1 (Mild Drought). All nonessential outdoor water uses restricted to no more than one day per week, before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m., except that watering of ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held hose or watering cans may be permitted.b.Level 2 (Significant Drought). All nonessential outdoor water uses banned, except that watering of ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held hose or watering cans may be permitted.c.Level 3 (Critical Drought) or Level 4 (Drought Emergency). All nonessential outdoor water uses are banned.
Full Breakdown
00. , though drip irrigation, hand-held hose or watering cans may still water ornamentals and flower gardens. At Level 2 (Significant Drought), all nonessential outdoor watering is banned except that same hand-held or drip watering of ornamentals. Levels 3 (Critical Drought) and 4 (Drought Emergency) ban all nonessential outdoor water use with no exception for ornamentals. Golf courses face their own tiered cutbacks: fairway irrigation drops to 80% of normal at Level 1, 60% at Level 2, and 40% at Levels 3 and 4, with roughs, landscaping and ornamentals unwatered from Level 1 onward.
The City must notify the public of a drought declaration, and any restriction, within 48 hours, using channels like local newspapers, the city website, reverse 911 calls or social media. m.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 13.08.090 escalates on a fixed schedule: a warning for the first violation, $100 for the second, $200 for the third, and $300 for the fourth and every violation after that, with each day counted separately. The section also allows a criminal fine up to $300 or a non-criminal disposition up to $300 under G.L. c. 40, § 21D, enforced by Water Department employees, Police Officers, Animal Control Officers and the Director of the Animal Commission.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a week can I water my lawn during a Cambridge drought?
Can I water flowers by hand during a severe Cambridge drought?
What is the fine for violating Cambridge's drought watering rules?
Who enforces Cambridge's outdoor watering restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
How Cambridge compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Cambridge to another location·View the Massachusetts landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle water restrictions.