Sterling Heights, MI Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Sterling Heights, MI, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Allowed hours
- 12:00 a.m.–5:00 a.m.
- Season
- Memorial Day–Labor Day
- Enforcement
- Police may shut off water
- Repeat violation
- Misdemeanor, arrest authority
Summary
Sterling Heights limits municipal water use for lawn and landscaping irrigation to non-peak hours, 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., from Memorial Day through Labor Day, enforced under a City Manager administrative order with full ordinance force.
NON-PEAK HOURS. The hours between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year. ... The City Manager shall create and implement an administrative order that shall be designed to further the City's objective of limiting use of the municipal water system for purposes of lawn and landscaping irrigation to non-peak hours.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-46: Local legislation current through Ord. 509, passed 5-19-26).
Full Breakdown
Sterling Heights Code of Ordinances §§ 53-101 to 53-103 direct the City Manager to issue an administrative order confining lawn and landscaping irrigation from the municipal water system to non-peak hours, 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day, to ease peak demand on the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department-supplied system. The order carries the full force of a duly enacted city ordinance. Police and code enforcement officers may shut off violating outdoor water use and issue a municipal civil infraction citation; the property owner is presumed responsible. A second violation within 24 hours becomes a misdemeanor with police arrest authority. Hardship relief can be petitioned to the Public Works Director under § 53-108.
Violations & Fines
Municipal civil infraction citation for each 24-hour period of violation; a second violation within 24 hours of a citation is a misdemeanor, with police arrest authority to ensure compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I water my lawn in Sterling Heights?
What happens if I water outside the allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sterling Heights
How Sterling Heights compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Sterling Heights to another location·View the Michigan landscaping rules overview
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