Fort Collins, CO Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Section 26-166 of the Fort Collins Municipal Code, in Chapter 26's Division 6 (Water Conservation), makes it unlawful to "waste water obtained from the City in any manner" and defines waste to include irrigating a lawn, turf or landscaped area so that water pools or flows in a steady stream onto storm drains, streets, sidewalks, driveways or other impervious surfaces. The same section separately outlaws letting a leaking or malfunctioning sprinkler head, valve, controller or outdoor plumbing fixture run, and bans washing a vehicle, patio or driveway with a hose that lacks a nozzle designed to close automatically except when hand-triggered. If the Utilities Executive Director finds a broken line or malfunctioning irrigation equipment, the department issues a written repair order with a deadline of at least twenty-four hours and can order the water shut off until the repair is done.

Beyond routine waste, Sec. 26-167 lets the City Manager declare a formal water supply shortage response and impose the restrictions set out in the City's Water Shortage Action Plan (dated April 2020) whenever projected supply falls short, with the declared restriction level published in a local newspaper before it takes effect and remaining in force until the shortage is declared over. A separate emergency clause lets the City Manager order any curtailment needed during a major fire or comparable crisis. These shortage-response restrictions, not Sec. 26-166 itself, are where day-of-week or time-of-day sprinkling limits would appear when Utilities declares a shortage stage.