Lowell, MA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Lowell, MA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Lowell Code Ch. 272, Part 5, sec. 272-103
- Declaration authority
- Lowell Regional Water Utility (sec. 272-102)
- Typical schedule
- Odd/even-day watering (commonly May 1-Sept. 30)
- State authority
- MGL c. 40, sec. 41A (drought emergency)
- First-violation fine
- $50; $100 each subsequent (per day)
Summary
Lowell has no year-round watering ban, but Code of Ordinances Chapter 272, Part 5 (Restrictions on Use of Water, sections 272-101 through 272-106) lets the Lowell Regional Water Utility declare a state of water supply conservation and impose odd/even-day watering, watering hours, a full outdoor watering ban, pool-filling bans, or a ban on automatic sprinklers. Massachusetts state law (MGL c. 40, sec. 41A) independently authorizes water authorities to restrain water use during a declared drought emergency.
A board of water commissioners or a board of public works with the duties of water commissioners of a municipality, water supply, fire and water district or water company having control of water supplies may, on behalf of their respective bodies politic or corporate, upon notification to the water takers, restrain the use of water on public and private premises by shutting off the water at the meter or at the curb cock or by other means as the case may be, during a drought, hurricane, conflagration or other disaster when in the opinion of the department of environmental protection an emergency exists.
Full Breakdown
Lowell's local water-restriction authority is codified at Chapter 272 (Water), Part 5, Restrictions on Use of Water. Under section 272-102, the City, acting through the Lowell Regional Water Utility, may declare a state of water supply conservation when a water shortage exists. Section 272-103 then lists the specific restrictions the declaration may impose: odd-/even-day outdoor watering (odd-numbered addresses water on odd days, even on even days), a complete outdoor watering ban, restricted watering hours during periods of low demand, a prohibition on filling swimming pools, and a prohibition on the use of automatic sprinkler systems.
Each summer the Utility routinely imposes the odd/even schedule (typically May 1 through Sept. 30). The local ordinance operates alongside Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 41A, which empowers a board of water commissioners to restrain the use of water on public and private premises during a drought, hurricane, conflagration or other disaster when the Department of Environmental Protection finds an emergency exists. Lowell also operates within MassDEP's Water Management Act framework, which is referenced in the ordinance's public-notification provisions.
Violations & Fines
Under the Lowell ordinance, any person violating Part 5 is liable to the City for $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent violation, recoverable by indictment, by complaint before the District Court, or by noncriminal disposition under MGL c. 40, sec. 21D, with each day of violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a permanent watering ban in Lowell?
How do odd/even watering days work?
What is the fine for violating a watering restriction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lowell
How Lowell compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Lowell to another location·View the Massachusetts landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle water restrictions.