---
title: Houston watering restrictions
question: "Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions in Houston?"
place: Houston, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/houston
category: Water, sewer, roads and snow
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Houston
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/water-restrictions/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/water-restrictions.json"
---

# Houston watering restrictions

**Question:** Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions in Houston?

**Short answer:** Yes. In Houston, Stage 1 watering restrictions start automatically on May 1 each year, and Council can declare Stages 2, 3 or 4. Stages 1 and 2 allow lawn watering only on assigned days. All stages end on October 31 unless Council extends them.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Houston, https://houston.ca)  
**Cost:** New sod, seeded lawn or landscaping permit: application fee $57. Breaking a restriction: $150 bylaw notice (see Good to know).  
**How long:** A new lawn permit lasts 21 days, with one extension to at most 42 days.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Office, 3367 12th Street, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed statutory holidays)
- Phone: Municipal Office, 250-845-2238 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Water and sewer emergencies (after hours), 250-845-8591

## Key facts

- **When restrictions apply:** Stage 1 starts automatically on May 1 each year if no stage is in force. Council may declare Stage 2, 3 or 4, which take effect 48 hours after a public announcement. All stages end on October 31 unless Council extends them. Applies to anyone on the municipal water system.
  - Source: [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015, ss. 2.1, 2.3, 3.7](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)
  - Official wording: "forty-eight (48) hours after a public announcement of the declaration is made." … "Stage 1 Water" … "No Water Conservation Measures Stage remains in force after October"
  - Source: [Water and Sewer, Watering Restrictions](https://houston.ca/community/public-works-and-operations/water-and-sewer/)
  - Official wording: "Water restrictions automatically take effect annually on May 1."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Sprinkling schedule:** Stage 1 and 2: lawn watering only on assigned days, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. East of Buck Creek: even calendar days. West of Buck Creek: odd calendar days. Stage 3: no lawn watering. Stage 4: no outdoor watering at all.
  - Source: [Water and Sewer, Stage 1 Restrictions](https://houston.ca/community/public-works-and-operations/water-and-sewer/)
  - Official wording: "Even numbered calendar days only (i.e. May 2)" … "Odd numbered calendar days only (i.e. May 1)" … "Permitted times: 6:00 am–10:00 am and 7:00 pm–10:00 pm" … "Lawn watering is prohibited at all times"
  - Source: [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015, ss. 3.0, 3.1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)
  - Official wording: "MAY water on even calendar days between the hours of 6:00 am to 10:00 am" … "and 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm ONLY"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Allowed at any time:** Stages 1 and 2: flower and vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees are not limited. Stage 3: hand watering of gardens, shrubs and trees with a hose that has an automatic shut-off, no sprinklers or soaker hoses. Drip irrigation is not "watering" in Stages 1 to 3. Stage 4 bans all of it, including drip.
  - Source: [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015, ss. 1.0, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)
  - Official wording: "Water or Watering” used as a verb, mean the application or distribution of water" … "but does not include the method known as drip irrigation." … "flower gardens, vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs or trees," … "water, or engage in drip irrigation of:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **New lawns:** Permit from the Director of Engineering for new sod, a seeded lawn or new landscaping; application fee $57 (Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule C-5). Lasts 21 days, with one extension to at most 42 days. Valid in Stages 1 to 3 only, not Stage 4. Display it where it can be seen from the street.
  - Source: [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015, Part 4, ss. 4.0, 4.1, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)
  - Official wording: "An application for a permit must be accompanied by an application fee of $50.00." … "A permit does not exempt the holder from Stage 4 Water Conservation Measures." … "A permit expires and is of no force or effect 21 days after the date of its issue"
  - Source: [Comprehensive Fees & Charges Amending Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Schedule A-2, Schedule C-5, 3. Water Conservation Exceptions Permit](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "3. Water Conservation Exceptions Permit" … "Permit Application per application 57.00 57.00 57.00 57.00 57.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: $150 for breaking a Stage 1, 2, 3 or 4 restriction ($112.50 within 14 days; $187.50 after 28 days). The bylaw itself says a first offence gets a written warning, a second a $75 municipal ticket, and a third or later a court fine of $100 to $500.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 1230, 2026, Schedule A, Schedule A, Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/144929/)
  - Official wording: "Contravention of Stage 1" … "3.0 Restrictions $150.00 $112.50 $187.50"
  - Source: [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015, s. 6.1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)
  - Official wording: "for a first offense, a written warning will be issued by District staff;" … "a municipal ticket in the amount of $75.00 will be issued by" … "not less than $100.00 and not more than $500.00."
  - Source: [Water and Sewer, Offenses & Penalties](https://houston.ca/community/public-works-and-operations/water-and-sewer/)
  - Official wording: "you may be liable to a fine between $75.00 and $500.00 depending on the severity of the offense."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015.
  - Source: [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015, s. 8.0](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "Water Conservation"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/) applies to anyone on the municipal water system. Stage 1 starts automatically on May 1 each year if no stage is in force. Council may declare Stage 2, 3 or 4, which take effect 48 hours after a public announcement. All stages end on October 31 unless Council extends them. For the current stage, check the notices on the District's website.

## The stages

- **Stages 1 and 2:** lawn watering only on assigned days, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. East of Buck Creek, water on even calendar days. West of Buck Creek, odd calendar days. Flower and vegetable gardens, decorative planters, shrubs and trees are not limited. Stage 2 also bans washing sidewalks and other outdoor surfaces with a hose unless it has a shut-off device and the purpose is allowed.
- **Stage 3:** no lawn watering. Hand watering of gardens, shrubs and trees is allowed with a hose that has an automatic shut-off, with no sprinklers or soaker hoses.
- **Stage 4:** no outdoor watering at all, including drip.
- Drip irrigation is not "watering" in Stages 1 to 3.

## New lawns

Apply to the Director of Engineering for a permit for new sod, a seeded lawn or new landscaping. The application fee is $57. It lasts 21 days, with one extension to at most 42 days, is valid in Stages 1 to 3 only, and must be displayed where it can be seen from the street.

## Good to know

- Some public sports fields, school yards, turf farms and golf course playing surfaces are exempt in Stages 1 to 3. Commercial nurseries and tree farms are exempt in Stage 3.
- **Fines:** the bylaw notice schedule lists $150 for breaking a Stage 1, 2, 3 or 4 restriction ($112.50 within 14 days; $187.50 after 28 days). The bylaw itself and the District's page say a first offence gets a written warning, a second a $75 municipal ticket, and a third or later a court fine of $100 to $500. Confirm with the Municipal Office at 250-845-2238.

## Official forms and pages

- [Water and Sewer, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/public-works-and-operations/water-and-sewer/)
- [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/)

## Related questions

- [Houston garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/garbage-collection.md)
- [Houston bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/water-restrictions.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/water-restrictions.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/water-restrictions.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/water-restrictions.md)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/water-restrictions.md)
- [Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/water-restrictions.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/water-restrictions.md)

## Sources

- [Water and Sewer, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/public-works-and-operations/water-and-sewer/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 1064, 2015 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145102/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Comprehensive Fees & Charges Amending Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Schedule A-2 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 1230, 2026, Schedule A (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/144929/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact Us, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/contact/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Houston. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/water-restrictions/_