Lake Havasu City, AZ Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Lake Havasu City ties its water-use restrictions to Colorado River supply conditions rather than a standing summer watering schedule. Section 7.20.020, part of Chapter 7.20's Waste of Water Restrictions, only takes effect during federally-declared Colorado River shortages that result in a direct reduction to the city's annual allocation, at which point the City Council may activate a list of prohibited activities. Once triggered, the ordinance targets waste rather than every irrigation use: it bars letting potable water, including irrigation-system water, run off a property onto a neighbor's land or into a public right-of-way, gutter, street, sidewalk, swale, or storm drain in a steady stream; it forbids hosing or washing buildings, driveways, and other impervious surfaces with potable water at any time; and it bans refilling a drained swimming pool or spa with potable water.

The same section also reaches decorative fountains without a recirculating system, restaurants serving water unless a customer asks, and outdoor misting systems that cool public areas. Chapter 7.20 defines the underlying terms in § 7.20.010, including what counts as an impervious surface and repeated or flagrant wasting of water, and § 7.20.030 exempts firefighting flows, hazard abatement, and storm-water runoff. Enforcement escalates through § 7.20.040 rather than jumping straight to court: a first violation draws only a written warning, a second adds a $50 utility-bill surcharge, a third a $100 surcharge, and a fourth triggers a flow-restricting device plus a $300 surcharge; any violation beyond the fourth can lead to water service being shut off until the customer agrees in writing to comply and pays a $500 penalty on top of the reconnection fee.