Iowa City, IA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Iowa City Code section 16-3C-11, Emergency Water Conservation, is the ordinance the city holds in reserve for drought or water-system stress rather than a permanent sprinkler schedule. The City Manager or a designee declares a water conservation emergency by written, signed notice filed with the City Clerk, stating when the declaration begins and which restrictions apply. Three escalating stages are available. M. Stage 1 can also bar washing vehicles outside a commercial water-reuse system, filling outdoor or private pools and ponds, outdoor pressure washing, nonessential hydrant flushing, bulk water sales, and use of contractor fire hydrant meters.

Stage 2, Emergency, keeps everything from Stage 1 and removes the exceptions: all outdoor watering and irrigation is prohibited without exception, all outdoor vehicle washing stops, public pools and splash pads cannot be filled, and the city can cut off water through single-purpose or irrigation meters while imposing case-by-case restrictions on individual customers. Stage 3, Prolonged Emergency, keeps the Stage 1 and 2 restrictions and adds strategic shutdowns of water service to entire areas of the city to preserve system integrity. The City Manager must issue a press release and other public notice when a stage is declared or changed, and may cancel or intensify the declaration at any time based on water supply.