Portsmouth, VA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Portsmouth, VA, 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
- City Code § 38-58
- Trigger
- Declared emergency only, no set schedule
- Enforcing office
- Department of public utilities director
- General chapter penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, § 38-2
- Service consequence
- Termination of water/sewer service
Summary
Portsmouth's code gives the city broad, standing authority to restrict water use during emergencies. There is no published watering-day schedule; instead, Sec. 38-58 lets the department of public utilities impose whatever reasonable limits an emergency requires, from irrigation curbs to broader cutbacks, once it invokes this power.
Sec. 38-58. - Right to restrict use of water in emergencies. In cases of emergency, the city shall have the right to restrict the use of water in any reasonable manner for the protection of the city and its water supply. (Code 1973, 38-49; Code 1988, § 38-58)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 38, Article II of the city code covers water and sewer connections and service, and Sec. " The section has carried this exact wording unchanged since the 1973 Code (renumbered § 38-49 there, then § 38-58 in the 1988 Code), and it has never been amended to add a fixed odd/even schedule, specific hours, or a numeric gallon cap for lawn and landscape irrigation. That means the restriction is triggered administratively rather than by a standing calendar: the director of public utilities (defined chapter-wide in Sec.
38-1 as the person who administers chapter 38) decides when an emergency exists and what "reasonable manner" of restriction applies, which can include limiting or banning outdoor irrigation, car washing, or other discretionary water uses tied to landscaping. Because the section sits in Article II alongside the city's general water-service rules, it works together with the department's right of entry (Sec. 38-53) and its authority to terminate service for noncompliance, giving the director leverage to enforce whatever emergency limits are announced. Residents and landscapers should watch for public notices from the department of public utilities rather than expect a recurring watering-day rule printed in the code itself.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 38's general penalty clause, Sec. 38-2, governs violations of any provision in the chapter, including Sec. 38-58: unless otherwise specified, a violation is a class 1 misdemeanor and is cause for termination of both water and sewer service, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. The city may also seek injunctive relief and recover actual damages, administrative costs, and attorney's fees from a violator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Portsmouth have fixed lawn watering days?
Who decides what counts as an emergency restriction?
What happens if I ignore an emergency water restriction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portsmouth
How Portsmouth compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Portsmouth to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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