Connecticut Watering Schedule

We allow watering by these methods at any time. But they’re best used during the early morning or nighttime hours. High evaporation rates during the heat of the day prevents water from soaking down to the roots to benefit plants.

Your town may have an ordinance against using well water to irrigate your lawn. If you do use well water, keep in mind that it should be used efficiently, too. If you’re using trucked water, it needs to come outside the area where the schedule applies. Using collected rain water has no restrictions. By following the schedule with whatever water you use, you can still have healthy lawns and gardens and show your consideration for neighbors and others in your community.

Sometimes it does, but the frequency and quantity of it is much less reliable. We now tend to see intense storms followed by extended dry periods. Meanwhile, the demand for water has increased significantly. As our state’s population has grown, so has the size of homes and lawns. Many are equipped with automatic sprinkler irrigation systems that frequently waste water by over-irrigating the landscape. Given these issues, we need to manage our water resources more efficiently. It’s the only way to ensure there’s always enough water to meet critical needs including drinking, dousing fires, and maintaining healthy, natural flows in our state’s rivers and streams.

In order to be considered for an irrigation variance renewal, a property must have:

1. Applied for a variance each sequential year by
2. An irrigation system maintained by a licensed irrigation contractor
3. Consistently met water savings target of that particular variance requirement:
1. If the property has met the savings target, the property will be approved for a variance with no site assessment and a new permit for the season will be emailed to the applicant. At the 4th year, a variance property would require a site re-assessment with the property’s licensed irrigation contractor, as systems change over time.  
2. If the property did not meet the savings target, the property situation will be reviewed and a site re-assessment will be requested with the property’s irrigation contractor to understand why it did not meet the savings target (e.g. an undetected leak).

For details about the variance applications, please visit our  page.

Those are the days when water use is highest, which leads to major drops in reservoir levels. We’ve designed the schedule to better balance the demand across the full week.

Experts in horticulture have found that landscapes are healthiest with deep and infrequent watering. Even in the heat of summer, landscapes can thrive on only about one inch of water every five to ten days.

Over-watering not only wastes water, it discourages healthy root growth, making plants more susceptible to damage from extreme heat, freezing temperatures, pests, diseases, and droughts. Native or adapted plants require less water. In fact, some perennial flowers can go weeks without supplemental watering.

Often a plant suffering only from temporary heat stress will look like it needs more water when it doesn’t. If a plant droops in the afternoon, check on it early the next morning. If it looks good, the plant is likely just reacting to heat. Watering won’t be necessary.

Check the soil, too. The surface may look dry, but a few inches below it may feel damp, showing that it has ample water. Checking soil moisture levels frequently will help you prevent needlessly drowning your landscape. You can also conserve soil moisture by laying down three to four inches of mulch around plantings.

At the same time as even-numbered addresses – on Sundays and Wednesdays before 10 AM and after 6 PM – and even then, only if watering is needed. Please keep in mind that the schedule only applies to automatic or in-ground irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers only. Drip irrigation, soaker hoses and hand watering are permitted on any day.

Midday heat increases evaporation rates, so water is lost to the air before benefitting plants. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Experts estimate that 50% of the water we use outdoors goes to waste from evaporation, wind, or runoff due to overwatering.”

This can cause serious consequences to natural water resources, including making them unpleasant to live around. We ask you to avoid this practice. Your town or the State may even prohibit against using water from brooks, ponds, lakes, or other natural sources for irrigation.

We ask that you please follow the schedule. The schedule is designed to spread out irrigation demands during the summer months to reduce the overall demand and peak demands. It’s not possible or fair to accommodate individual requests. Plus, not following the schedule could subject you to penalties that include a shut-off of your household’s water.

Water only on Sundays and Wednesdays before 10 AM and after 6 PM – and even then, only if watering is needed. Please keep in mind that the schedule only applies to automatic or in-ground irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers only. Drip irrigation, soaker hoses and hand watering are permitted on any day.

Experts recommend drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or hand watering, all of which are exempt from the twice-weekly irrigation schedule.

First, we educate our customers about the importance of water conservation and how wasteful watering can negatively impact their property. This includes educating customers about waste and how over-watering the landscape can harm lawns and gardens. Next, we keep close watch on consumption so we can notify customers when their water usage suggests over-watering. In addition, we coordinate with state regulators and local governments to build compliance through announcements and local ordinances.

Yes. Connecticut’s very severe drought in 2016 showed that avoiding waste is something that can’t wait until the rains stop coming. Besides, nothing as precious as water should ever be wasted. It’s the responsibility of everyone to use water wisely every day.

It depends. Your town may have an ordinance against using well water to irrigate your lawn. If you do use well water, keep in mind that it should be used efficiently, too. By following the suggested twice-weekly irrigation schedule, you can still have healthy lawns and gardens.

To renew your irrigation variance, submit a or variance application, and indicate that you are requesting a renewal in the Explanation for Variance Request field.

Upon submission, you will receive an email confirmation and your request will be reviewed. If the property has met the consumption savings target, your variance will be approved without a site-assessment requirement. In the 4th year, a variance property would require a site re-assessment with the property’s irrigation contractor, as irrigation systems change over time.

For details about the variance applications, please visit our page.