Watering/Irrigation Restrictions

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The City of Burnsville has implemented mandatory outside water use restrictions effective from April 1 through September 30. There are several reasons the City has taken this step:

- The City is committed to being a good steward of our natural resources, and these water use practices will result in more efficient use the of the area’s limited groundwater resources.

- By reducing the amount of water used by the City through water conservation, the City may be able to save the cost of drilling new well(s). This would be a significant savings and in the long run help keep the fees down that the City has to charge for water.

The specific outside water use restrictions are as follows:

MIDDAY WATERING BAN:
All watering of lawns is prohibited between from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. - NO EXCEPTIONS

ODD-EVEN SPRINKING:
The odd-even restrictions allow resident and business addresses that end in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) to water only on days that end in an odd number and those with an even number (0,2,4,6.8) to water only on days that end in an even number. All addresses may water on the 31st day of the month.

In the case of multi-family residences or businesses with multiple addresses, or where a structure does not have an apparent address, the site should water on odd numbered days.

For properties with automatic irrigations systems which cannot water their whole site during the single day, the system should set up to water approximately ½ of the site each day, but not water any specific area more frequently than once every other day. Residents and businesses with this situation need to notify the City annually and receive approval prior to implementing this watering system.

EXCEPTIONS:
Exceptions to odd-even watering restrictions include lawns with new seed, new sod or new landscaping. Plant materials that require daily watering such as golf greens and tees, certain athletic fields with special soil conditions, flower pots and baskets, and vegetable gardens. Please notify City to be put on exception list - the list is only valid for 20 days. Flower pots/baskets, and vegetable gardens need to be hand-watered. 

These restrictions should not result in lower quality lawns in the community. Lawns do not need to be watered daily. In reality, watering them daily is bad for them as the grass plants develop very shallow root systems, which means they become less drought tolerant, need more frequent watering and have access to fewer soil nutrients. By watering less frequently and more deeply, grass plants develop deeper roots, require less frequent watering and are healthier. So, watering lawns less frequently but more will help build healthier lawns.

Midday watering results in a lot of water being lost to evaporation, so it is not an efficient time of day to water. This watering practice wastes a lot of water.

By implementing this water conservation approach, we not only save precious ground water, we also spread out the water demand more evenly thereby reducing our peak water demand. This will help lessen the need to drill additional wells and build additional capacity into our water system, reducing the cost of providing water to our residents. And all this can be accomplished without reducing the quality of our community’s lawns. All it requires is the adjustment of watering schedules, which seems like a reasonable thing to ask considering the importance of preserving our freshwater resources.

The City’s hope is to gain compliance with these water conservation restrictions through education; however, the City felt it necessary to establish a fee system for those who choose to not comply with these restrictions.

The following fees for non-compliance will be assessed and included in the property owner's water bill:
A door hanger notice and a letter follow-up will be provided to property owners to notify them for each documented incident of non-compliance.

Report a Violation

If you have any about these restrictions, please call the Burnsville Public Works Department at 952-895-4550.