Saint Paul, MN Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

05 gives the general manager of the Board of Water Commissioners authority to declare or rescind outside watering restrictions whenever Minnesota's drought-phase system moves into warning, restrictive, or emergency status. , capping it at two hours per day, restricting it to alternate days or one or two fixed days a week, cutting off irrigation watering entirely, banning watering used only for dust control, or imposing any other restriction the board deems necessary for public welfare. Separate from drought phases, the board also retains standing authority to limit daily outside-watering hours at any time the public water supply's condition demands it, and can forbid outside watering altogether for up to thirty days at a stretch, a limit it can extend indefinitely if a federal, state, or local authority orders it.

Customers are responsible for knowing and following whatever restriction is currently posted; there is no separate permit process, just compliance with the active phase. 08, and a fourth or later violation can trigger a temporary service suspension until every outstanding charge, plus the turn-on service charge, is paid in full. 06 and was most recently amended by Ord. 25-11 in March 2025.