Charlotte, NC Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Under Code of Ordinances Chapter 23, Article VII, the city manager may declare a water shortage and impose one of three escalating phases of conservation controls after weighing factors like system pressure, storage-tank levels, and supply adequacy (Sec. 23-253). Phase I, restricted, targets discretionary water uses, meaning a declaration can restrict "the manner, day of the week, and/or time of day" that customers water lawns and landscaping, or ban specific discretionary uses outright (Sec. 23-256(b)). Golf courses, athletic associations, and similar large-irrigation customers may submit an alternative compliance plan to CMU rather than follow the standard schedule (Sec.

23-256(c)). Phase II bans community-and-business uses on top of discretionary ones, and Phase III, emergency, can restrict even essential water uses and lets the city ration or suspend service (Secs. 23-257, 23-258). Customers who install new lawns or landscaping can get a variance from CMU to water on the installation date and for 30 days afterward, exempt from day-of-week limits (though not time-of-day limits) during Phase I (Sec. 23-261(b)). Enforcement under Sec. 23-262 sets a tiered civil penalty schedule tied to Phase I violations: $100 first offense / $200 for a 2-inch-or-larger connection, rising to $300/$600 for a third offense.

Phase II or III violations double those amounts ($200-$1,200 depending on offense and meter size). Anyone who refuses to stop a violation immediately when directed pays double the applicable penalty, and five or more violations (or two violations of Phase II/III controls) can trigger termination of the irrigation service connection for at least 15 days.