Lawn & Landscape Watering Policy

• It’s better for lawns. Irrigating fewer days – but applying a deeper soaking on the designated days – is more effective in stimulating and maintaining healthy growth. In addition, many studies show that one inch of water per week, including rainfall, is all a lawn needs to remain healthy. Irrigating two days per week – instead of up to four with the previous odd/even schedule – will continue to provide sufficient time to meet the one-inch-per-week guideline.
• Woodbury is a leader in environmental sustainability. Woodbury has a long history of serving as a regional leader in environmental sustainability. The city was one of the first to institute an odd/even and time-of-day lawn watering policy many years ago and its water efficiency programs have been emulated in other metro communities in recent years. Changing the lawn watering policy is an important action for protecting the long-term sustainability of the aquifer (Woodbury’s drinking water source).
• It helps manage water system operations. Pumping less water lessens the impact on the drinking water system infrastructure, which decreases the frequency of needed repairs and replacements, and supports system resiliency.
• It Reduces the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Minnesota Department of Health is expected to increase its health standards for PFAS in 2023 and subsequently issue health advisories on as many as eight additional drinking water production wells in Woodbury. While the city is treating six of its wells at the temporary treatment plant and working on adding interim treatment at three additional well sites for operation beginning in 2024, it will be challenging to limit the impact of PFAS by not using these eight wells and continue to meet water demand, especially during the summer watering months.

The policy change went into effect on Thursday, April 27, 2023, and is in effect year-round.

To learn which days each property is allowed to water, view the Irrigation Zone Map or enter your address in the interactive online Irrigation Zone Map. The daily noon to 5 p.m. watering restriction will remain in place.

Commercial properties may water on Fridays. Homeowners Associations (HOAs) must follow the residential Irrigation Zone Map. 

Yes, all irrigation systems within Woodbury need to follow the regulations. The only exception is wells that hold their own Minnesota Department of Natural Resources appropriation permit.

Homeowner associations will follow the same regulations as residential zones (based on their location). They may water up to one weekday and one weekend day per week.

Commercial properties may water on Fridays only.

New seed/sod permits will still be available for 14 consecutive days of watering. Apply for this permit online.

With two day per week watering, your lawn should not die. A healthy lawn requires one inch of water (including rainfall) per week. In addition, watering fewer days – but applying a deeper soaking – is more effective in stimulating and maintaining healthy growth.

The property owner will be issued an administrative citation and fined $50 for the first offense, with the fine doubling with each subsequent offense within the same calendar year.

The policy regulates lawn and landscape watering only: other outdoor water uses including, but not limited to, car washing and filling of swimming pools are not impacted. Watering of shrubs, flowers, or other landscaping vegetation when done by hand is permitted at any time. This includes using a hose, watering can, or similar implement.

Irrigation system controllers should be reprogrammed to water on the new days or use the manual setting to operate the system on the appropriate day for the designated zone. If you purchased a Rachio smart irrigation controller through the city, tips on running your system are available via the Rachio Help Center.

You can also watch a video on how to reprogram your controller on our YouTube channel. 

Woodbury residents who have not purchased a smart controller and have a system that was installed before 2020 should consider purchasing one at a discount offered to Woodbury residents. Visit the Smart Irrigation Controller Program page to learn more.

The city wanted each zone to have one weekend day to water. To achieve that goal, and still give each zone one weekday, there would always be one zone with this gap. Fridays were reserved for commercial properties.

The city contracted with an engineering firm to model the city’s water system. After many iterations of the model, the current boundaries were determined the best to equitably distribute the daily water use and mitigate usage spikes. City-wide water use data was used from odd/even periods and from the 2021 temporary watering restrictions period that was needed due to the statewide drought that summer.

Many sources, including the University of Minnesota Extension, indicate that one inch of water per week, including rainfall, is all your lawn needs to be healthy. 

While we are not currently in a drought, this change is needed to manage water use and system operation, support the long-term sustainability of the aquifer, and assist in the mitigation PFAS in the municipal water system.