Casper, WY Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Casper, WY, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Mayor-declared water emergency
- Irrigation window
- 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.
- Maximum ban length
- 48 hours, lawn/garden irrigation
- Enforcement
- Chapter 1.28 misdemeanor penalty
- 2nd conviction penalty
- Water service discontinued
Summary
During a declared water emergency, Casper's mayor can restrict irrigation under Municipal Code Sec. 13.16.040: limiting park watering or all lawn and garden irrigation to the hours of 8 p.m. to 10 a.m., on straight or alternate days, or banning it outright for up to 48 hours. There is no such restriction outside a declared emergency, and violators face misdemeanor penalties under Chapter 1.28.
In the event of a water emergency, as defined herein, the mayor, upon the advice of the manager, is authorized to declare a water emergency and may place into immediate effect any or all of the following restrictions upon the use of water from the city's water system: A.Restrict the amount to be supplied to wholesale customers to the amount required for domestic use only;B.Restrict lawn and garden irrigation to the following:1.Restrict park and public irrigation to the hours between eight p.m. and ten a.m.,2.Restrict all irrigation use to the hours between eight p.m. and ten a.m.,3.Restrict all irrigation use to the hours between eight p.m. and ten a.m. on alternate days,4.Prohibit all lawn and garden irrigation for a period not to exceed forty-eight hours.
Full Breakdown
Casper's water emergency chapter gives the mayor, on the city manager's advice, the power to declare a water emergency whenever a fire, flood, storm, earthquake, drought or civil disturbance seriously threatens the city's ability to supply water (Sec. 13.16.010). Once declared, Sec. 13.16.040 hands the mayor a menu of restrictions to impose immediately, starting with cutting wholesale customers back to domestic use only, then working through four escalating irrigation limits: restrict park and public irrigation to 8 p.m. to 10 a.m., extend that same overnight window to all irrigation, push it further to alternate days only, or prohibit all lawn and garden irrigation outright for up to 48 hours.
The council does not act first: it reviews and either confirms or denies the mayor's declaration at its next regular meeting under Sec. 13.16.050. Restrictions ordered outside an active emergency take effect 48 hours after publication in a newspaper of general circulation, while during an actual emergency the city also broadcasts notice by radio and television under Sec. 13.16.030. Separately, the council can impose its own water-use restrictions or moratoriums at any time under Sec. 13.16.020, emergency or not. Enforcement runs through Chapter 1.28's general penalty for any violation of the water emergency chapter.
Beyond a fine, Sec. 13.16.060 lets the city manager install a flow-restriction device limiting a violator's service line to minimum domestic needs after one conviction in a restricted-use period, and discontinue water service entirely after two convictions in the same period; service is restored, or the device removed, once the customer pays the applicable service charges and the restricted period ends.
Violations & Fines
A first conviction under the water emergency chapter is a misdemeanor punishable per Chapter 1.28's general penalty, and lets the city manager fit a flow-restriction device to a violator's service line, cutting flow to minimum domestic needs for the rest of the restricted period. A second conviction in the same restricted-use period lets the city discontinue water service outright; service resumes, or the device comes off, only once charges are paid and restrictions lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Casper's irrigation restrictions kick in?
What are the actual watering-hour limits during an emergency?
What happens if I water my lawn during a banned period?
Does the city council have to approve the mayor's restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Casper
How Casper compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Casper to another location·View the Wyoming landscaping rules overview
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