Tempe, AZ Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Tempe, AZ, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Core prohibition
- No wasting water, § 33-121(a)
- Irrigation failures listed
- Broken spray/bubbler/drip lines, § 33-122
- 1st violation
- Verbal notice only, § 33-125
- 3rd violation
- 25% bill surcharge, § 33-127
- 4th violation
- 50% bill surcharge, § 33-128
- 5th+ violation
- Service shutoff, 2.5x reconnect fee
- Penalty cap
- $2,500 per violation per day, § 33-133
Summary
Tempe bans wasting water on landscaped property under General Code Section 33-121, and Section 33-122 spells out the irrigation failures that count as waste: broken spray or bubbler heads, leaking drip lines, and unmaintained automatic timers. There is no assigned watering-day schedule; instead Public Works cites and escalates against any sprinkler, drip or misting system that lets water run off the property or into the street.
No person shall waste any water supplied within the City service area. Water waste specifically includes but is not limited to the following:(1)Water not put to beneficial use;(2)Any use of water in excess of that reasonably necessary to accomplish the intended task,;(3)Willfully or negligently permitting or causing the escape or flow of water, such as into the public right of way in such quantity as to cause flooding, to impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic, to create a hazardous condition for such traffic, or to cause damage to the public streets or alleys of the City; or(4)Failure or neglect to operate or maintain properly any water facility or device, including, but not limited to, swimming pools, architectural pools, spas, water features, sprinklers, hoses, pipes, ditches, standpipes, berms, valves and gates.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 33 Update 4 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 11 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
" Section 33-122 ties that duty directly to landscaping, naming damaged or missing spray heads, damaged or missing bubbler heads, damaged or missing drip irrigation lines, unmaintained berms and laterals, and failure to maintain automatic irrigation timers as the "major cause" of water waste the City targets. Enforcement runs through Division 3: a first violation draws only a verbal notice and educational materials under Section 33-125, and the City cannot declare a second violation of the same matter sooner than fourteen days later. A second violation (Section 33-126) triggers a written notice and a mandatory water conservation audit with a compliance schedule.
A third violation within twelve months adds a surcharge equal to 25 percent of the average of the previous six months' billing on the meter involved (Section 33-127); a fourth violation raises that surcharge to 50 percent (Section 33-128); and any violation after the fourth brings a one-month-average surcharge plus discontinuance of water service, with reconnection billed at two and one-half times the normal activation rate (Section 33-129). 00 per violation per day. A property owner who needs an exception can apply in writing to the Public Works Director for an exemption under Section 33-124, which must include a water conservation audit of the facility.
Violations & Fines
A first offense gets a verbal warning only; real money starts at the third offense within twelve months, when Tempe adds a surcharge of 25 percent of the meter's average six-month bill, rising to 50 percent on a fourth violation. Beyond that, the City can shut off service entirely and charge two and one-half times the standard fee to reconnect. All surcharges and penalties are capped at $2,500 per violation per day under Section 33-133.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tempe assign specific watering days for lawns?
What happens the first time my sprinklers get flagged for wasting water?
Can Tempe shut off my water for repeated irrigation waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tempe
How Tempe compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Tempe to another location·View the Arizona landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle water restrictions.