Water restrictions in Norfolk, VA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Norfolk is served by the Norfolk Department of Utilities, which can impose water use restrictions during drought under the City Drought Management Plan. The city draws from Lake Prince, Lake Smith, and other reservoirs. Voluntary conservation is promoted year-round.
Norfolk operates a municipal water system serving the city and wholesale customers in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. The Drought Management Plan establishes four stages: Advisory (voluntary), Watch (voluntary with outdoor limits), Warning (mandatory odd/even irrigation schedule), and Emergency (mandatory ban on outdoor watering). The Virginia DEQ Drought Monitoring Task Force declares regional conditions that trigger local stages. Under current normal conditions, year-round conservation recommendations apply but no mandatory limits exist. Restrictions typically include: no lawn watering between 10 AM and 6 PM, car washing only with shutoff nozzle or at commercial facility with recycling, no fountains without recirculation. Rain sensors are required on new automatic irrigation systems under the Virginia USBC.
During Warning/Emergency stages, violations can result in civil penalties 50 to 500 dollars per occurrence. Chronic violations can trigger water service suspension.
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See how Norfolk's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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