Water restrictions in Erie, PA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Erie has no city lawn-watering ordinance in normal conditions; Pennsylvania state law (4 Pa. Code Chapter 119) prohibits watering grass and most outdoor plants once the Governor declares a drought emergency in the area.
No Erie-specific ordinance restricts routine lawn or garden watering. Water service is provided by the Erie Water Works, and outdoor watering is governed instead by Pennsylvania state law. Under 4 Pa. Code Section 119.4, whenever the Governor declares a drought or water shortage emergency, watering grass becomes a prohibited nonessential use within the affected service area, subject to narrow exceptions (e.g., newly seeded or sodded areas hand-watered between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., professional landscaper establishment work, brief irrigation-equipment testing, and one-time grub control). Watering of outdoor gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs, and other outdoor plants with fresh water is likewise restricted during a declared emergency. In June 2023, the Pennsylvania DEP declared a statewide drought watch and recommended voluntary conservation, advising residents to water lawns only if necessary and to set mower blades 2-3 inches high to retain soil moisture.
During a declared Commonwealth drought emergency, prohibited nonessential water uses are enforceable under 4 Pa. Code Chapter 119 and the Governor's proclamation; no fixed local fine applies outside an emergency.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Erie, PA
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Erie, PA
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Erie, PA
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Erie, PA
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Erie, PA
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Erie, PA
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