Raleigh water restrictions: the rules that always apply, and the drought stages

What Raleigh Water's customers can always do outdoors, how its drought stages limit watering, the penalties the city's plan sets, and where to check which stage is in force.

Updated October 23, 20267 official sources

On this page4 sections

1The rules that always apply
2What the drought stages limit
3Penalties
4Asking for an exception

Raleigh Water's watering rules cover its customers in Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.¹ They come from the city's Water Shortage Response Plan, which City Council adopted on October 19, 2010 and included in section 8-2178 of the city's ordinances.²

Some rules are always in effect. Others come with a drought stage, which the city declares and lifts as Falls Lake's water supply rises and falls. Before you water, check the city's water supply and drought status page. When we checked it on October 23, 2026, it said Stage 1 restrictions had been lifted on August 3.³

The rules that always apply

Outside a drought stage, outdoor watering and washing of every kind are allowed. These requirements apply at all times:¹

Sprinklers and irrigation systems have to run without wasting water, and without watering streets, sidewalks, parking lots or driveways.
Restaurants serve water only when a customer asks for it.
Hotels change linens only when a guest asks.

The city recommends watering a landscape with no more than one inch of water a week.¹

What the drought stages limit

The city's page lists the restrictions each stage is most likely to bring, and says each stage can be adjusted when it's declared:¹

	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3
In-ground irrigation systems	Odd addresses Tuesday, even addresses Wednesday, midnight to 10 a.m.	Not allowed	Not allowed
Hose-end sprinklers	Restricted	Not allowed	Not allowed
Drip irrigation and bucket watering	Allowed	Allowed	Not allowed
New landscape establishment permits	Not issued	Not issued	Not issued
Car washing and pressure washing	Allowed	Allowed	Restricted

In Stage 3, all irrigation stops.¹

In every stage, landscapes watered with reuse water or a source other than the city's public water system aren't covered by the watering limits.⁴ During a stage, a leaking water service or plumbing has to be fixed within 48 hours of written notice from the city.

Hand-held hose watering is one place to check the current page. The plan's text lets you water with a hand-held hose at any time in Stage 1 and bans it in Stage 2. The city's page lists it as allowed in Stages 1 and 2.⁵

Penalties

Raleigh Water's code enforcement staff contact a customer about a violation by phone, in person, or with a letter or door hanger. The plan sets these civil penalties:⁶

Stage 1: a warning for the first violation, $50.00 for a second and $200.00 for a third. After a fourth, the city gives written notice and interrupts water service 24 hours later.
Stage 3: $1,000.00 for the first violation, and a repeat can lead to the water being shut off.

In every stage, each day counts as a separate violation. Service that was cut off for repeat violations isn't restored until the Public Utilities Director is satisfied the risk has passed or the customer will comply.⁷

Asking for an exception

You can ask for a variance by letter or email to the Public Utilities Director, describing what you need and why. The city answers within 2 weeks.⁷

City of Raleigh Water Shortage Response Plan and Raleigh Water's pages, checked October 2026.

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