Chicopee, MA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Chicopee, 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
- Who declares
- Superintendent, with approval from the Mayor
- Scope
- Partial or total ban on outside water use
- Total ban
- Must be approved by the MADEP
- Fines
- Warning, then $25, $50 and $100 plus court costs
- Beyond fourth day
- $150 per day plus any court costs
- Enforcement
- Chicopee Police Department
Summary
In the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, the Superintendent, with the Mayor's approval, can declare a water emergency and impose a partial or total ban on outside water use. Penalties climb from a warning to fines of $25, $50 and $100, then $150 per day beyond the fourth day, and the Police Department enforces.
A. The Superintendent, with approval from the Mayor, shall have the authority to declare a public emergency due to inadequate water supplies. The Superintendent, with the approval of the Mayor, shall have the authority to impose a partial ban or total ban on outside water use which is deemed unnecessary. The announcement in the media and other means as determined by the Superintendent and the Mayor shall include a listing of prohibited activities. A total ban shall be approved by the MADEP. Any person, firm or corporation violating any provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the following penalties: (1) First offense: warning. (2) Second offense: fine of $25 and any court costs. (3) Third offense: fine of $50 and any court costs. (4) Fourth offense: fine of $100 and any court costs. B. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day on which a violation occurs or continues. Violations beyond the fourth day will receive a fine of $150 per day plus any court costs. ... C. The Police Department shall be the enforcing authority.
Full Breakdown
Chicopee has no fixed watering-day schedule in its code. Instead, Chapter 269 (the Water Use Ordinances, adopted 3-19-2019 by Ord. No. 19-18) gives the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works two tools. Under § 269-3.8(B), the Superintendent can adopt conservation restrictions under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 21G, once conditions exist that limit the water supply and can endanger the public health, safety and welfare. Those restrictions stay in full force until the Superintendent determines the condition no longer exists.
The stronger tool is § 269-4.5. The Superintendent, with approval from the Mayor, can declare a public emergency due to inadequate water supplies and impose a partial ban or a total ban on outside water use deemed unnecessary. The announcement, made in the media and by other means the Superintendent and Mayor choose, has to include a listing of prohibited activities, so the sprinkler, hose and lawn rules of any given emergency are whatever that announcement lists. A total ban must be approved by the MADEP.
A separate offense is committed on each day a violation occurs or continues. If a ban on outdoor use ends and a new emergency is declared later the same year, the first offense during the new emergency is a warning again. The Police Department is the enforcing authority, and the Mayor designates the appeals officer and collector of violations of the water emergency, along with any other details.
Two permanent rules apply to lawn and garden watering even without an emergency. Section 269-3.8(A) says no user shall knowingly allow water to leak or run to unnecessary waste. Section 269-3.12(B) requires that all irrigation systems be metered and equipped with an approved backflow prevention device, and gives the City the right of entry to any premises to inspect irrigation systems for cross-connection conditions and backflow prevention. Decorative fountains under § 269-3.12(A) need a meter, a shut-off mechanism and an approved backflow prevention device.
Violations & Fines
Under § 269-4.5, a first offense during a water emergency draws a warning, a second offense a fine of $25 and any court costs, a third offense $50 and any court costs, and a fourth offense $100 and any court costs. Violations beyond the fourth day receive a fine of $150 per day plus any court costs. Each day counts as a separate offense, and Chicopee police issue the citations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chicopee have set days for lawn watering?
What is the fine for watering during a Chicopee water emergency?
Who approves a total outdoor water ban in Chicopee?
Do I need a backflow device on a lawn sprinkler system in Chicopee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicopee
How Chicopee compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Chicopee to another location·View the Massachusetts landscaping rules overview
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