Lakewood, NJ Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Lakewood, NJ, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Mayor-declared water emergency (§ 16-6.1)
- Hose watering days
- Odd-even days by street address number
- Hose watering hours
- 6-9 a.m. or 5-8 p.m.
- Irrigation system hours
- Midnight to 9:00 a.m. only
- SMART controller relief
- Registration plus Township yard placard
- First-offense penalty
- Written warning, then Municipal Code fine
Summary
Lakewood Township only imposes outdoor watering rules once the Mayor declares a water emergency under Code § 16-6.1. Once triggered, hose watering is limited to odd-even days and set morning or evening hours, automatic irrigation systems run overnight only, and SMART-controller systems can register for relief. Violators face a written warning, then Municipal Code fines.
Restrictions on outdoor landscape water use apply to all users in Township of Lakewood at all times regardless of source of supply (e.g. public water supplies, well or ground water, lakes, streams, or ponds) unless expressly exempt in subsection 16-6.5. Exemptions. Such water use shall conform to the following Outdoor Landscape Water Use Restrictions: a. Lawn watering with a hose or hose-end sprinkler: 1. May only be done on odd-even days corresponding to the street address number of the property; 2. Watering shall only be conducted between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; 3. The watering of any single area shall not exceed 30 minutes per day; 5. No hose or hose-end watering shall be permitted when it is raining.
Full Breakdown
Township of Lakewood Code § 16-6, adopted by Ordinance No. 2017-25, does not run year-round: § 16-6.1 states the water conservation and use restrictions 'shall become effective only upon the declaration of a water emergency by the Mayor of the Township of Lakewood.' Once a state of emergency is declared, § 16-6.2 governs every water source in the Township, public supply, wells, or surface water, unless a listed exemption applies. Hose and hose-end sprinkler watering is limited to odd-even calendar days matching the property's street address, restricted to 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., capped at 30 minutes per area, and banned outright during rain.
Conventional automatic irrigation systems without a SMART controller may run only between midnight and 9:00 a.m. on the same odd-even schedule, capped at 15 minutes per spray zone or 30 minutes per rotary zone. Owners who install a registered SMART controller meeting IA-SWAT testing standards, or hire a registered irrigation manager, can operate outside those hour caps once the Township issues a yard placard confirming registration. Every automatic system, SMART or not, must carry a working rain sensor that shuts off after a quarter-inch of rainfall.
The Township's local authorized official enforces the restrictions: a first violation draws a written warning under § 16-6.4, and any repeat violation is 'subject to the penalty provisions stated in the Municipal Code' per § 16-6.5. Drip and micro-irrigation of flowers and shrubs is unrestricted at any time.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under § 16-6.3, watering during rain, runoff, puddling, leaking equipment, or irrigating on the wrong day or hour, draws a written warning from the local authorized official, who documents it and explains the escalating penalties. Any subsequent violation is punishable under the Municipal Code's general penalty provisions incorporated by § 16-6.5, and the official may issue a summons directly for continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Lakewood's watering restrictions always in effect?
Can I keep watering on my normal schedule if I have a SMART controller?
What happens the first time I'm caught watering on the wrong day?
Does hand-watering flowers count against the schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
How Lakewood compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the New Jersey landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle water restrictions.