Eden Prairie, MN Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)

Chapter 3 of the City Code defines "reclaimed water" in Section 3.01 as water collected from rooftops, paved surfaces, or other collection devices and any water used more than once before re-entering the natural water cycle, a companion term to "water recirculation system," a device that lets a user reuse water at least once before it returns to the natural cycle. The practical effect of that definition surfaces in Section 3.30, Subdivision 6, which lets the City Manager declare a "water emergency" when water pressure or supply in the municipal system drops to a level that endangers public health or safety, alongside emergencies the Governor can declare under Minnesota Statutes Section 103G.291.

Once a water emergency is declared and posted on the City's bulletin board and website, Subdivision 6.D bans several categories of water use citywide, including irrigation of yards, gardens, golf courses, and parkland, washing paved surfaces, filling swimming pools, and washing vehicles outside recirculating wash facilities. The irrigation ban carries one carve-out: areas irrigated with reclaimed water are exempt, so a property using rooftop or reused water for its lawn keeps watering even while neighbors on municipal water are cut off. The Director of Public Works can grant a variance from any of these restrictions for health or safety hardship, and a denied applicant can appeal to the City Clerk within five days, with the City Manager required to hear the appeal within fourteen days.