Virginia Beach, VA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Virginia Beach, VA, 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
- City council-declared water shortage emergency
- Watering limit
- 3-gallon container only, hand-carried
- Penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor
- Enforced by
- City Manager / Dept. of Public Utilities
- Normal times
- No standing watering-day restriction
Summary
Virginia Beach has no standing odd/even watering schedule. But once city council declares a water-supply emergency, the city manager or public utilities director can limit lawn and shrub watering to a hand-held container of three gallons or less.
Should the city council, declare there to be an emergency existing in the city arising, either wholly or substantially, out of a shortage of the public water supply, the city manager or the director of public utilities is hereby authorized to order the restriction or prohibition of any or all of the following uses of the water supply: (1) Watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants or other vegetation, except from a watering can or other container not exceeding three (3) gallons in capacity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 37-21 gives the city manager or director of public utilities standing authority, once city council declares a water-supply emergency, to restrict or prohibit specific water uses citywide. Under subsection (b)(1), watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants or other vegetation is limited to a watering can or other container not exceeding three gallons: hoses and automatic irrigation systems are effectively barred while the order is active. The same emergency order can also restrict car washing, sidewalk washing, ornamental fountains, and pool filling/refilling. Restrictions take effect once published in a local newspaper or broadcast, and remain until council or the department rescinds them. Absent a declared emergency, no watering-day rule applies.
Violations & Fines
Watering beyond the 3-gallon container limit while an emergency order is active is a Class 3 misdemeanor under § 37-21(e); the city manager or utilities director may also terminate water service for the duration of the emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia Beach restrict watering days year-round?
What watering is still allowed during a declared emergency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
How Virginia Beach compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Virginia Beach to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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