Troy, MI Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

01 of the City Water Utility chapter ties Troy's outdoor watering rules to its contract with the Great Lakes Water Authority, which obligates the City to push water use into non-peak hours whenever possible. For any property served by an underground irrigation system, outdoor watering, including sprinkling lawns and landscaping, is restricted to 11pm to 5am. Manual irrigation is treated differently: a water user may hand-water landscaping at any time of day, as long as the hose or equipment is not connected to an underground system and the user is personally attending and monitoring the watering.

Property owners who face a practical hardship from the restriction can petition the Superintendent of the Department of Water and Sewer, or that official's designee, laying out the extraordinary circumstances and the length of relief requested; the Director of Public Works or a designee decides whether to grant, deny or modify the request, and that decision is final. 02 lets the City Manager impose emergency water-use regulations, including an absolute temporary ban on all lawn sprinkling and outdoor water use, whenever the Great Lakes Water Authority, City Council or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality reports conditions that endanger the water system.

Emergency rules must be posted at City offices and publicly announced within 24 hours, take effect immediately upon posting, and stay in force until the City publicly announces they are lifted.