--- title: Trail watering restrictions question: "Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions?" place: Trail, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/trail category: Water, sewer, roads and snow owner: municipal owner_body: City of Trail sources_read: 2026-11-06 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/water-restrictions/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/water-restrictions.json" --- # Trail watering restrictions **Question:** Are there lawn sprinkling or watering restrictions? **Short answer:** Restrictions in the City of Trail are set by notice, not by a standing schedule. Under the Waterworks Bylaw the Manager may restrict water use or fix sprinkling days and hours when supply is short. Check the City's Water Restrictions page for the current notice before you water. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Trail, https://www.trail.ca) **Cost:** No ticket amount found. On conviction, a fine of up to $500 plus costs; each day is a separate offence. **Where:** - Online: Water Restrictions (City of Trail), https://trail.ca/services/water-sewer/water-restrictions/ ## Key facts - **When restrictions apply:** The Manager may issue a notice restricting water use or fixing sprinkling days and hours when water supply is short. Check the City's Water Restrictions page for the current notice. - Source: [Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998 (consolidated), s. 2.5(a)](https://trail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Waterworks-and-Sanitary-Sewer-Bylaw.pdf) - Official wording: "the Manager may issue a notice prohibiting, restricting or limiting the use of water by any or all of" … "fixing the days and hours upon or during which sprinkling shall be" - Source: [Water Restrictions, Water Restrictions page](https://trail.ca/services/water-sewer/water-restrictions/) - Official wording: "Effective June 1, 2026, and pursuant to the City of Trail Waterworks Bylaw, water use conservation measures are in place for all areas of the City of Trail" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Sprinkling schedule:** None set. The City of Trail has no standing sprinkling schedule; restrictions are set by notice. - **Allowed at any time:** Hand watering of gardens and flower beds at any time, if a flow control device such as a hose nozzle is used. Washing sidewalks or driveways only in the sprinkling hours (not recommended). - Source: [Water Restrictions, Water Restrictions page](https://trail.ca/services/water-sewer/water-restrictions/) - Official wording: "Hand watering of gardens and flower beds is permitted any time of the day or evening, providing a flow control device is used i.e. a hose nozzle." … "Wetting down sidewalks and driveways as a form of cooling is prohibited." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **New lawns:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. - **Fine:** No ticket amount found. On conviction, a fine up to $500 plus costs; each day is a separate offence. - Source: [Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998 (consolidated), s. 11.1](https://trail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Waterworks-and-Sanitary-Sewer-Bylaw.pdf) - Official wording: "shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the sum of Five Hundred" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998; the City's Water Restrictions page cites it as the City of Trail Waterworks Bylaw. - Source: [Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998 (consolidated), cover](https://trail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Waterworks-and-Sanitary-Sewer-Bylaw.pdf) - Official wording: "WATERWORKS AND SANITARY SEWER REGULATION BYLAW NO. 2398, 1998" - Source: [Water Restrictions, Water Restrictions page](https://trail.ca/services/water-sewer/water-restrictions/) - Official wording: "pursuant to the City of Trail Waterworks Bylaw" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works The City of Trail has no standing sprinkling schedule. Under the [Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998](https://trail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Waterworks-and-Sanitary-Sewer-Bylaw.pdf) (section 2.5(a)), the Manager may issue a notice restricting water use or fixing sprinkling days and hours when supply is short. The City's Water Restrictions page carries the current notice, with its days, hours and effective date. A notice can change, so check the page before you water. ## Good to know - The City's notice effective June 1, 2026 set odd and even days and set hours for hose sprinklers and automatic systems. That was a notice, not a permanent rule; read the current one on the page. - Hand watering of gardens and flower beds is allowed at any time, if you use a flow control device such as a hose nozzle (per the City's page). - Washing sidewalks or driveways is allowed only in the sprinkling hours and is not recommended. - I found no separate rule for drip irrigation, food gardens or new lawns and sod, and no new-lawn permit. Ask the City. - No ticket amount found. On conviction, the fine is up to $500 plus costs, and each day is a separate offence. - Questions: City Hall, 250-364-1262. ## Official forms and pages - [Water Restrictions page](https://trail.ca/services/water-sewer/water-restrictions/) - [Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998 (PDF)](https://trail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Waterworks-and-Sanitary-Sewer-Bylaw.pdf) ## The same question elsewhere - [Watering restrictions in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/water-restrictions.md) - [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/water-restrictions.md) - [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/water-restrictions.md) - [Montrose](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/water-restrictions.md) - [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/water-restrictions.md) - [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/water-restrictions.md) - [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/water-restrictions.md) ## Sources - [Water Restrictions, City of Trail](https://trail.ca/services/water-sewer/water-restrictions/) (read 2026-11-06) - [Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Regulation Bylaw No. 2398, 1998 (consolidated), City of Trail (PDF)](https://trail.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Waterworks-and-Sanitary-Sewer-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-06) - [Department Directory, City of Trail](https://trail.ca/contact/department-directory/) (read 2026-11-06) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Trail. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/water-restrictions/_