Waterbury, CT Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Waterbury, CT, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Sprinkling curfew
- No sprinkling 5:00-9:00 p.m. daily
- Drought/emergency rule
- Outdoor watering eliminated completely
- Governing section
- Waterbury Code § 52.01
- Enforcing agency
- Board of Public Works
- Penalty
- Fine under § 10.99, per-day violation
Summary
Waterbury bans lawn and garden sprinkling, and use of any stationary watering device, between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. every day. During a declared drought or water supply emergency, all such outdoor watering must stop completely, with no exceptions for the off-peak hours otherwise allowed.
(A) There shall be no lawn and garden sprinkling nor the use of any stationary watering device between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. (B) During periods of drought or water supply emergency this use of water shall be eliminated completely.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through September 8, 2025).
Full Breakdown
m. The rule applies citywide and year-round, targeting the peak residential demand window when the Bureau of Water's system sees the highest simultaneous draw. Subsection (B) layers a second, stricter tier on top of the daily curfew: 'During periods of drought or water supply emergency this use of water shall be eliminated completely,' meaning the Board of Public Works can suspend outdoor watering entirely, not just during the evening window, once a drought or supply emergency is declared. 22) that protect the same water-supply and fire-protection system, including a ban on parking within ten feet of a fire hydrant and a prohibition on wilfully wasting water from an open hydrant. 02, administers water policy for the city under Charter § 11F-6 (water fund) and Charter § 4-9 (water police).
Violations & Fines
Violating the sprinkling-hours ban or the drought-emergency shutoff is cross-referenced directly to § 10.99, the code's general penalty section, which allows a fine set annually in the city's schedule of fees, charges, penalties and rewards adopted with the budget under § 41.11. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense under § 10.99(B), so a homeowner who keeps sprinklers running nightly during a declared drought can accumulate a new fine every day the watering continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn in Waterbury in the early evening?
What happens to watering rules during a drought?
Who enforces Waterbury's sprinkling rule and what is the fine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waterbury
How Waterbury compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Waterbury to another location·View the Connecticut landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.