Vestavia Hills, AL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Vestavia Hills, AL, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- mayoral drought stage declaration
- Stage 3-4 watering hours
- not 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Even addresses
- water Mon. & Thurs.
- Odd addresses
- water Tues. & Fri.
- Stage 5
- outdoor watering banned
- Enforcement
- city police, per § 17-2(h)
Summary
When the mayor declares a stage 3 or 4 drought emergency, Code Sec. 17-2 restricts lawn watering to two assigned days a week outside of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., based on whether your address ends in an even or odd number, with police enforcement.
(f)Declaration of emergency in "stage 3 drought warning" and/or "stage 4 extreme drought emergency". Upon such publication of a declaration of water service emergency during a "stage 3 drought warning" or "stage 4 extreme drought emergency" as declared by the mayor with the consensus of the city council, as provided hereinabove, the use and withdrawal of water by any person for the following purposes shall be as follows:(1)Watering yards. The hand watering of established lawns and landscaping is not allowed during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on the allowable watering day. Addresses ending in an even number should hand water established lawns and landscaping on Mondays and Thursdays and addresses ending in an odd number should hand water on Tuesdays and Fridays. ... (h)Enforcement. Upon publication of a "stage 3. drought warning", "stage 4. extreme drought emergency" or "stage 5. exceptional drought emergency" under subsection (b) hereof:(1)Police officers enforce. Every police officer of the city shall, in connection with his or her duties imposed by law, diligently enforce the provisions of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Section 17-2 of the Code of Ordinances lets the mayor, with city council consensus, declare a water service emergency once officials determine drought or system failure requires restricting non-essential water uses. The declaration mirrors the five-stage drought plan the Birmingham Water Works Board adopted April 9, 2008, running from Stage 1 Drought Advisory through Stage 5 Exceptional Drought Emergency, but the city's mandatory restrictions only activate at the mayor's declaration during a Stage 3 Drought Warning or Stage 4 Extreme Drought Emergency. , and addresses ending in an even number may water on Mondays and Thursdays while odd-numbered addresses water Tuesdays and Fridays.
New lawns get a grace period, exempt from day-of-week limits for their first 20 days, then limited to two days a week matching the same even/odd schedule through day 30. The same subsection also suspends car washing except by recycled-water businesses, bans fire hydrant use outside firefighting, cuts golf course watering to tees and greens only on limited hours, and prohibits washing sidewalks, driveways, building exteriors and outdoor equipment. A Stage 5 declaration under subsection (g) goes further and bans essentially all outdoor watering and washing citywide.
Subsection (i) lets the mayor authorize reasonable water use to protect public health and safety, including watering hazardously hard athletic fields, but that exception never extends to the enumerated restrictions themselves.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 17-2(h) directs every police officer of the city to diligently enforce the restrictions once a Stage 3, 4 or 5 declaration is published, as part of their regular duties. Parents are made responsible under the same subsection for violations committed by their minor children. Enforcement only applies while a declared water service emergency is in effect; there is no standing day-of-week watering schedule outside a declared drought stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there watering-day restrictions in Vestavia Hills?
What days can I water my lawn during a drought declaration?
Who enforces the water restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vestavia Hills
How Vestavia Hills compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Vestavia Hills to another location·View the Alabama landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle water restrictions.