Elgin, IL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

390 (Water conservation) lets the city manager declare one or more conservation levels whenever the capacity of Elgin's water system to serve public health needs is threatened by nonessential water use, and using city water contrary to whichever level is in force is unlawful. m. Level 2 adds odd/even day rationing: even-numbered street addresses may irrigate on even calendar days only and odd addresses on odd days only, still subject to the 10-to-6 daily ban. Level 3 keeps the odd/even day schedule but limits irrigation to a handheld hose only.

Level 4 bans all outdoor irrigation outright. Level 5 is the broadest: it prohibits all outdoor use of city water, expressly naming irrigation, cleaning outdoor surfaces, ornamental fountains without a recirculating system, swimming pools over 50 gallons without a filter and recirculating system, and car washing. Four narrow uses stay exempt at every level: dust control or soil compaction, street sweeping and sewer maintenance, firefighting, and watering a vegetable garden or lawn seeded or sodded within the previous three weeks. The city manager must publicize any restriction level, and its lifting, through press releases to radio, newspaper and other media, and is the sole official who determines when the water supply has recovered enough to lift the restriction.