Mebane, NC Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

In the City of Mebane, North Carolina, outdoor watering rules escalate through five stages set out in Section 36-66 of the water shortage response plan, first adopted by ordinance July 12, 2010. A voluntary Stage I is declared when Graham-Mebane Lake falls to 150 days of usable water storage and only recommends conservation. Stage II becomes mandatory at 120 days of storage: under Section 36-66(b), it is unlawful to water lawns, grass, shrubbery, trees, or flower and vegetable gardens except on Saturday between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., and the same stage bars filling or refilling swimming pools, washing vehicles outside conserving commercial operations, and washing down driveways, sidewalks or patios.

Stage III, triggered at 90 days of storage, tightens further: Section 36-66(c) makes it unlawful to water or sprinkle any lawn at all, and vegetable gardens or ornamental shrubs may be watered only from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, and only by handheld hose, container or drip irrigation; sprinklers are off the table. Stage IV, at 60 days of storage, bars any outdoor water use except for fire emergencies, and Stage V imposes full rationing at 30 days of storage. The city manager declares and lifts each stage by public proclamation under Sections 36-65 and 36-75, with notice posted at municipal buildings, on the city website and through reverse-911 alerts.

A nonresidential customer facing extraordinary hardship from the cutback can apply under Section 36-67 for a variance, decided by the city manager within two weeks. Violating the plan's watering-day limits can trigger the $100.00 per-event excess user charge set out in Section 36-69, though a first violation draws only a warning citation.