Huntsville, AL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Huntsville, AL, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 26-675
- Trigger
- Declared water alert/warning/emergency stage
- Stage II schedule
- Odd/even address, matching odd/even day
- Stage III added limit
- No watering 6:00–9:00 p.m.
- Stage IV
- All outdoor irrigation banned
Summary
Huntsville only restricts lawn watering days when its utility declares a water alert or warning stage, at which point sprinkler use is limited to odd or even calendar days matching your street address.
Stage II, mandatory compliance, water alert. Upon implementation by the general manager of Huntsville Utilities...irrigation utilizing individual sprinklers from hoses, or buried sprinkler systems for the purpose of watering lawns, gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs and other plants is prohibited except on designated water use days, which shall be as follows: Odd-numbered street addresses will water on odd days of the month, and even-numbered street addresses will water on even days of the month.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Huntsville Utilities' water conservation plan (City Code § 26-675) has no standing watering schedule: restrictions only kick in when the utility's general manager declares a conservation stage. Once a Stage II water alert is declared, sprinkler and hose-fed irrigation is limited to odd-numbered addresses watering on odd calendar days and even addresses on even days. A Stage III water warning tightens that to four set days a week (Saturday/Sunday and Wednesday/Thursday) with no watering between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Stage IV bans all outdoor irrigation. Hand-held hoses and commercial nurseries get exemptions in Stage II.
Violations & Fines
Irrigating outside your designated odd/even day (or during a Stage III/IV ban) while a conservation stage is in effect violates City Code § 26-675; Huntsville Utilities can restrict or cut off water service for the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Huntsville always restrict lawn watering days?
What is the Stage II watering schedule?
Can I wash my car during a water warning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
How Huntsville compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Huntsville to another location·View the Alabama landscaping rules overview
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