Grand Forks, ND Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Grand Forks, ND, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Triggering authority
- City representative, with administrator concurrence
- Governing plan date
- July 4, 2007, adopted by reference
- Plan filed at
- City auditor and city administrator offices
- Trigger conditions
- Drought, shortage, plant failure, contamination
- Restriction type
- Mandatory conservation, per adopted plan
Summary
Grand Forks City Code Article 3 of Chapter XV lets the city representative, with the city administrator's concurrence, impose mandatory water conservation measures, including irrigation and watering restrictions, whenever drought or a supply shortage threatens the city's water system. The specific rules apply through a drought management and demand reduction plan the city adopted by reference.
Environmental conditions such as drought or other uncontrollable circumstances can disrupt the normal availability of the city's water supply. ... Upon a determination by the city representative that the city's water supply is insufficient or inadequate because of: A drought that results in source water shortage; a general water supply shortage; the treatment capacity of the Grand Forks water treatment plant is exceeded by the demand for water; a failure at the Grand Forks water treatment plant; the quality of water being unfit, inadequate or contaminated; or any other reason as deemed problematic for the city's water supply by the city representative, subject to the concurrence of the city administrator, the city representative shall have the authority to implement mandatory provisions for the conservation of the city's water supply under their drought management and demand reduction plan. ... The water conservation, drought management and demand reduction plan dated the fourth day of July, 2007, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference.
Full Breakdown
Section 15-0301 states the article's intent: drought or other uncontrollable circumstances can disrupt the city's water supply even when it appears adequate, so the city needs a policy for shortages, delivery restrictions, equipment failure, or other supply problems. Section 15-0302(1) authorizes the city representative, subject to the city administrator's concurrence, to implement the article's provisions upon determining implementation is necessary to protect public health, welfare and safety. Section 15-0302(2) lists the triggers: a drought causing source water shortage, a general supply shortage, treatment capacity at the Grand Forks water treatment plant being exceeded by demand, a plant failure, unfit or contaminated water quality, or any other problem the representative identifies; once triggered, the city representative gains authority to implement mandatory conservation provisions, which under an adopted plan can include restrictions on outdoor irrigation and watering, under the drought management and demand reduction plan.
Section 15-0303 adopts and incorporates by reference the water conservation, drought management and demand reduction plan dated July 4, 2007, rather than printing its day-by-day restriction schedule in the code itself. Section 15-0304 requires a copy of that plan to be filed in the offices of the city auditor and the city administrator or city representative, where residents can review its specific terms.
Violations & Fines
The code text itself does not print a schedule of fines for violating the drought plan's specific watering-day rules; sections 15-0301 through 15-0304 establish the city representative's authority to declare and enforce mandatory conservation measures once a shortage trigger under section 15-0302(2) is found, with the plan filed at the city auditor's and administrator's offices setting the operative restrictions and any penalties for noncompliance with an active declaration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Grand Forks restrict lawn watering days by ordinance?
Who decides when watering restrictions kick in?
What counts as a trigger for mandatory conservation?
Where can I see the actual restriction rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Forks
How Grand Forks compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Grand Forks to another location·View the North Dakota landscaping rules overview
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