Islip, NY Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

There is no Town of Islip ordinance that sets daily lawn-watering schedules; outdoor water use in the Town is governed by the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA), a New York State public-benefit corporation that is the drinking-water supplier for most of Islip. SCWA's odd/even policy requires homes with odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) to water only on odd calendar days and homes with even-numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) to water only on even calendar days, and it prohibits automatic irrigation system use between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day, when evaporation is highest. The policy exists to protect Long Island's sole-source aquifer and reduce peak summer demand. At the state level, when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) declares a Drought Watch, no mandatory restrictions apply; residents are encouraged to voluntarily water lawns only when necessary, avoid wasteful methods, and water in the early morning. NYSDEC can declare higher drought stages (Warning, Emergency, Disaster) that carry escalating, potentially mandatory measures, but ordinary lawn-watering rules for Islip flow from the SCWA directive rather than from Town code.