Water restrictions in Winston-Salem, NC — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County water service is provided by Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities (City-County Utilities). Year-round, customers are asked to follow conservation practices; during declared drought stages, mandatory watering-day and time restrictions apply.
City-County Utilities operates under a Water Shortage Response Plan that matches NC DEQ drought-advisory stages. In normal conditions, voluntary conservation is requested: water lawns in early morning or late evening, use rain sensors on irrigation systems, and repair leaks promptly. When the NC Drought Management Advisory Council declares Moderate Drought (D1) or higher, the city can move to Stage 1 (voluntary) through Stage 4 (mandatory) restrictions. Typical mandatory rules: odd/even address watering days, 2-day-per-week lawn irrigation, no irrigation 10 AM-6 PM, no washing hard surfaces, car washing only at commercial facilities with recycling. Violations are enforced through the utility billing system with warning, surcharge, and service-disconnection tiers. The NC Drought Monitor is updated weekly and drives stage decisions.
First violation: written warning. Second: surcharge on water bill (often $100). Further violations: higher surcharge and potential service shutoff.
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