Farmington Hills, MI Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Farmington Hills' water service authority sits in Chapter 33 (Water and Sewers), Article V — Water Service, including Section 33-127 (Issuance of address-based restrictions) and related provisions. The City purchases potable water wholesale from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), which sources Lake Huron water via the Lake Huron Water Treatment Plant in Port Huron and Detroit River water via the Springwells Water Treatment Plant in Dearborn. From April 1 through October 31 of each year, outdoor lawn watering and irrigation must follow a hard-coded address-based odd/even schedule: properties with odd-numbered street addresses may irrigate on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday; properties with even-numbered street addresses may irrigate on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. No outdoor irrigation is permitted between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on any day, regardless of address. The restrictions are designed to manage peak-hour demand on the GLWA supply system and to reduce water lost to mid-day evaporation. Hand-watering of trees, shrubs, and vegetable gardens with a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle is encouraged outside the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. window. Drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses fall under the same odd/even schedule but are recognized as efficient. Farmington Hills also participates in the Southeast Oakland County RainSmart Rebates program through the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, which offers up to $2,000 to homeowners for sustainable stormwater practices including tree planting, rain barrel installation, and rain gardens. The Rouge River watershed status and GLWA's Lake Huron / Detroit River sources mean Farmington Hills' water-restriction framework prioritizes peak-demand smoothing rather than drought-driven supply curtailment as seen in arid-state cities.