Parma, OH Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Parma, OH, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 660.19
- Who can declare
- Mayor of Parma
- Maximum duration
- 7 days per proclamation
- Covered activity
- Lawn sprinkling and land irrigation
- First offense
- Minor misdemeanor, up to $150 fine
- Repeat offense
- Third-degree misdemeanor, up to $500/60 days
Summary
Parma's Mayor can proclaim a water use emergency and order curtailment of unnecessary use, including lawn sprinkling and irrigation, whenever a water shortage threatens public health and safety. Section 660.19 caps any single emergency at seven days and requires public notice through local media before restrictions take hold.
During a water use emergency, the Mayor may order a water use curtailment by prohibiting unnecessary use or consumption of water during all or specified hours of the day and/or may order that specified premises curtail unnecessary use or consumption of water on specified days only as the Mayor determines to be necessary... As used in this section, "unnecessary use or consumption" means the use or consumption of water for purposes other than personal health, safety, sanitation and bodily consumption. "Unnecessary use or consumption" of water includes, but is not limited to, sprinkling or watering lawns, other land irrigation, the washing of automobiles, houses or other structures and the use of water for recreational purposes such as the maintenance of swimming pools.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
19(a) lets the Mayor proclaim a water use emergency for all or part of the city whenever the Mayor or the Safety or Service Director learns, including from the City of Cleveland's Division of Water and Heat, that a water shortage exists or is imminent and threatens public health and safety. Under subsection (b), the Mayor may then order curtailment of 'unnecessary use or consumption' during specified hours or days. Subsection (c) requires the proclamation to state the geographic area covered, a duration not exceeding seven days, and the degree of curtailment, and subsection (d) requires notice to a local newspaper and to radio and television stations.
Subsection (e) defines unnecessary use to expressly include 'sprinkling or watering lawns, other land irrigation, the washing of automobiles, houses or other structures and the use of water for recreational purposes such as the maintenance of swimming pools,' while carving out construction-related water use, sanitation scrubbing, and hand-watering of gardens from unconnected sources. Subsection (f) then makes it unlawful for anyone to use water in violation of an active proclamation's terms.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of an active water use emergency proclamation under Section 660.19(g) is a minor misdemeanor, carrying up to a $150 fine and no jail time. A second or later violation within the same emergency is a third-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, and a separate offense is charged for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a standing lawn-watering schedule in Parma?
How long can a Parma water use emergency last?
What is exempt from the water use emergency rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
How Parma compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Parma to another location·View the Ohio landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle water restrictions.