Water restrictions in Mecklenburg County, NC — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Charlotte Water serves most of Mecklenburg County and enforces a Water Shortage Response Plan with five stages. Year-round, irrigation is limited to even/odd address days and banned between 10 AM and 6 PM during Stage 1 and higher.
Charlotte Water (operated by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department) is the public water utility for Charlotte and most of Mecklenburg County under contract. Its Water Shortage Response Plan, codified in Charlotte City Code Chapter 23, establishes stages tied to Catawba-Wateree reservoir levels and drought declarations. Stage 1 (Voluntary): alternate-day irrigation by address. Stage 2 (Mandatory): no irrigation 10 AM-6 PM, no washing paved surfaces, fines begin. Stage 3+: progressively tighter, including bans on new landscape installation. Residents on private wells are not subject to utility restrictions but are encouraged to conserve.
Stage 2 and higher violations: first offense warning, $100 second, $500 third, potential water service termination for chronic violators.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Mecklenburg County, NC
Outdoor burning in Mecklenburg County is heavily restricted: open burning of leaves, yard waste, and trash is largely prohibited under NC Air Quality rules a...
Mecklenburg County, NC
Cannabis dispensaries are illegal in Mecklenburg County because North Carolina has no medical or recreational marijuana program. No retail cannabis zoning ex...
Mecklenburg County, NC
Commercial drone operation in Mecklenburg County requires an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. North Carolina's separate UAS Operators Permit (N.C.G.S. ...
Mecklenburg County, NC
HOAs in Mecklenburg County may impose fines up to 100 dollars per violation per day under NCGS 47F-3-107.1 after a hearing before an adjudicatory panel of un...
Mecklenburg County, NC
NCGS 7A-38.3F requires pre-litigation mediation for most HOA disputes in Mecklenburg County other than assessment collection. Either party may initiate media...
Mecklenburg County, NC
Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement issues building permits for all in-ground and above-ground residential pools over 24 inches deep or 5,000 gallons. Permit...
See how Mecklenburg County's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.