Prince William County, VA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Prince William County, VA, 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
- Board finding of water supply emergency, Section 30-82
- Stage II limit
- Watering only from a container of 3 gallons or less
- Stage II exempt uses
- Nurseries, golf course greens, commercial agriculture
- Penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor, Section 30-86
- Extra remedy
- County may suspend water service by injunction
- Appeal path
- Board of County Supervisors, Section 30-87, decision final
Summary
Prince William County has no year-round watering schedule, but once the Board of County Supervisors declares a water supply emergency, the county executive can order Stage II restrictions banning lawn and garden watering except from a hand-held container of three gallons or less, under Code of Ordinances Section 30-84.
Stage II. Assuming that very limited supplies of water are available, the county executive is authorized to order restricted use or absolute curtailment of less essential uses of water, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:a.Watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants, or any other vegetation, except from a watering can or other container not exceeding three-gallon capacity, excluding plant nurseries, golf course greens and commercial agricultural activities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 46 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
3:4. Section 30-84 then lays out three escalating stages. Stage I is voluntary: the county executive simply asks residents to use prudent restraint. Stage II, triggered when supplies are 'very limited,' authorizes the county executive to order restricted use or absolute curtailment of specific nonessential uses, including watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants, or any other vegetation, except from a watering can or other container not exceeding three-gallon capacity, a restriction that exempts plant nurseries, golf course greens, and commercial agricultural activities. The same Stage II list also reaches car washing, washing of driveways and outdoor surfaces, ornamental fountains, pool filling, and non-essential commercial or industrial water use, all with similar three-gallon-container or safety exceptions.
Stage III, for critically limited supplies, restricts water to uses essential to preserving life, health, and safety. Section 30-83 exempts any governmental, institutional, or business operation the county executive specifically excepts as necessary for public health, safety, or welfare. Once the county executive determines supplies are sufficient again, Section 30-85 lets him or her declare the emergency ended, which immediately lifts the restrictions.
Violations & Fines
Violating a water-use order issued under Article III is a Class 3 misdemeanor under Code of Virginia Section 18.2-11, and Section 30-86 also lets the county executive seek suspension of water service to a violator by injunction, abatement, or other legal remedy. An owner or resident hit with a restriction order or a water-service suspension can appeal to the Board of County Supervisors, or a temporary board of appeals it appoints, under Section 30-87, and that board's decision is final.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Prince William County have permanent lawn-watering days?
What can I still water under a Stage II emergency order?
What happens if I violate a water restriction order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince William County
How Prince William County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Prince William County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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