Richmond's Department of Public Utilities draws from the James River and rarely imposes mandatory watering restrictions, but voluntary conservation guidance applies during declared drought stages by the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force.
Unlike water-stressed western cities, Richmond DPU operates an abundant James River-fed system with the Cary Street Water Treatment Plant rated at 132 million gallons per day. Mandatory outdoor watering bans are rare and triggered only during declared regional drought emergencies under Va. Code §62.1-243. DPU encourages voluntary odd/even-day watering, early-morning irrigation to reduce evaporation, and rain sensor installation on automatic systems. During the 2002 and 2007 droughts, Richmond imposed temporary surcharges and restrictions. The Chapter 33 utility code authorizes the DPU director to declare emergency conservation measures with city manager approval.
During declared drought emergencies, violating outdoor watering restrictions can trigger surcharges on the next utility bill plus civil penalties up to $250 per occurrence under Chapter 33 enforcement provisions.
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See how Richmond's lawn watering restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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