James City County, VA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in James City County, VA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Restricted season
- May 1 through September 30
- Watering hours
- Midnight-9 a.m. and 5 p.m.-midnight
- No-watering day
- Mondays
- Rain sensor threshold
- One-fourth inch or less
- Maximum fine
- $2,500.00 per day
Summary
From May 1 through September 30 each year, James City Service Authority water cannot be used outdoors except on assigned odd/even days, and only between midnight and 9 a.m. or 5 p.m. and midnight. No outdoor watering is allowed on Mondays, and irrigation systems installed after March 8, 2005 must have a rain sensor.
during the period beginning May 1 and ending September 30 of each year, outdoor use of James City Service Authority water is prohibited, except that properties with even-numbered street addresses can use water outdoors on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and properties with odd-numbered street addresses can use water outdoors on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays provided that outdoor water use occurs between the hours of midnight and 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and midnight. No outdoor water use shall occur on Mondays
Full Breakdown
James City County Code § 11-65 sets a seasonal odd/even outdoor watering schedule using James City Service Authority (JCSA) water. and midnight; no outdoor watering is allowed on Mondays. Open or common areas in multi-lot developments are treated as odd-numbered regardless of any assigned address. Covered activities include watering shrubbery, trees, lawns and other vegetation, washing vehicles, and washing driveways, sidewalks and building exteriors. Exemptions include a one-time 60-day watering allowance for a newly installed lawn after written notice to the JCSA general manager, hand-held container watering, watering of nursery stock held for sale, vehicle washing by a licensed facility with an approved water recycling system, professional pressure-washing businesses with a business license, and any hose fitted with a continuously attended automatic shutoff nozzle.
Section 11-66 separately requires every automatic irrigation system installed and supplied by the JCSA after March 8, 2005 to carry a rain sensor set at one-fourth inch or less, so the system shuts off once that much rain has fallen; systems installed before that date without a sensor are only encouraged, not required, to add one, but all systems must have a backflow preventor. No person may adjust a rain sensor or irrigation controller to defeat the automatic shutoff, and the odd/even watering-day schedule continues to apply even when a rain sensor is installed.
Violations & Fines
Section 11-67 makes any violation of this article a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500.00, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. If the county administrator declares a water shortage under Article VI (Drought Management), those emergency restrictions supersede the ordinary odd/even schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days can I water my lawn outdoors in James City County?
Is a new lawn exempt from the watering schedule?
Do automatic irrigation systems need a rain sensor?
What is the penalty for violating the watering schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in James City County
How James City County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare James City County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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