Indianapolis, IN Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Indianapolis, IN, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Water utility
- Citizens Energy Group
- Recommended limit
- 1-2 times per week
- Odd addresses
- Monday and/or Thursday
- Even addresses
- Tuesday and/or Friday
- Severe drought
- Water Conservation Ordinance bans irrigation
Summary
Indianapolis water is supplied by Citizens Energy Group, which asks customers to limit lawn watering to one to two times per week on a staggered odd/even address schedule; during severe droughts a Water Conservation Ordinance imposes mandatory bans on lawn and outdoor watering.
Properties with street addresses ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) should water on Monday and/or Thursday. Properties with street addresses ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) should water on Tuesday and/or Friday. ... [Water Shortage Warning:] Mandatory restrictions via Water Conservation Ordinance. Bans lawn irrigation, with certain exceptions such as watering of vegetable gardens.
Full Breakdown
Indianapolis does not run a city-ordinance day-of-week sprinkler schedule for ordinary conditions; outdoor water use is managed by Citizens Energy Group, the public charitable trust utility that supplies the area. Citizens asks customers to limit lawn watering to one to two times per week and to follow a staggered schedule: addresses ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) water Monday and/or Thursday, and addresses ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) water Tuesday and/or Friday. Citizens' Drought Alert Guidelines escalate in tiers: Water Shortage Watch (Tier 1) requests voluntary reductions to no more than two days per week; Water Shortage Alert (Tier 2) makes the two-day limit mandatory; Water Shortage Warning (Tier 3) triggers mandatory restrictions via the Water Conservation Ordinance that ban lawn irrigation with limited exceptions such as vegetable gardens; and Water Shortage Emergency (Tier 4) bans outdoor water uses including lawn irrigation, washing cars, and filling pools, again with limited exceptions.
Violations & Fines
Voluntary at the Watch tier. Mandatory lawn-watering limits apply at the Alert tier and outright bans apply at the Warning and Emergency tiers under the Water Conservation Ordinance; Citizens Energy Group enforces drought-stage restrictions for its customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days can I water my lawn in Indianapolis?
Are watering restrictions mandatory?
Can I still water during a drought ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Indianapolis
How Indianapolis compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Indianapolis to another location·View the Indiana landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.