Check your town's water restrictions or ban

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - With the state under a Water Shortage Emergency as a drought continues, many communities have asked residents to voluntarily cut back on water use.

Other cities, including Indianapolis, have outright banned the use of water.

The following breaks down the bans and restrictions currently in place:

Zionsville water ban

Beginning at 9 a.m. July 20, Zionsville residents will be under a mandatory ban. The restrictions mirror the Indianapolis ban.

Residents are not allowed to water grass, wash cars or other vehicles, fill empty swimming pools, install new landscaping with sod, open fire hydrants except to fight fires, and operate water fountains that are non-recycling.

Nurseries, car washing businesses, golf courses, the city’s parks department and residents with their own wells are except from the ban.

Residents are allowed to water vegetable gardens and flowers by container or using a hose with a shutoff nozzle. Trees younger than 5 years old can also be watered.

The city will warn first-time violators. The second violation carries a $250 fine, a third violation costs $500 and the fourth and subsequent violations cost $2,500.
 

Lawrence water restrictions

The city of Lawrence has asked residents to voluntarily cut back on water use. As a result of a statewide Water Shortage Warning, the city is asking residents not to water grass, wash vehicles, fill swimming pools or install new landscaping.

Carmel water restrictions

About 3,000 residents of Carmel - those supplied by Citizens Water, must abide by the mandatory usage ban put into place July 13, the city confirmed. View the map of who is included in that ban here.

Those supplied by Carmel's own utility or by private wells are being asked to voluntarily conserve water, because of the expectation that the drought may stretch on for months.

 

Alexandria water restrictions

The city of Alexandria is asking residents to voluntarily comply with water conservation measures due to the continuing drought.

As of July 1, the city's water usage is averaging 1.2 million gallons of water a day, and only 700, 000 gallons per day were being processed through the city's wastewater facility.

The city emphasized in a news release July 17 that there is no water shortage, but the treatment facility just does not have the pumping capacity to keep up with the extra demand.

Because of that, Alexandria residents are asked to comply with the following schedule for watering lawns, gardens and flowers:

• Those living in even-numbered addresses, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays.
• Those living in odd-numbered addresses, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays.
• No outdoor water usage from 9 a.m. Sundays to 9 p.m. Mondays.

The city also asks residents to avoid any other unnecessary water usage, including washing vehicles at home.

The restrictions will remain in place until further notice. If conditions worsen, a mandatory ban and the threat of citations may be put into place, the city said.

 

Avon mandatory ban

The town of Avon has issued a water shortage warning and issued mandatory water usage restrictions similar to those in place in Indianapolis, the town manager said July 13. The rules go into effect July 14 for residents and businesses that are served by Citizens Water.

A first violation will earn a written warning. Additional violations will be met with $500 fines, the town said July 13.

 

Fishers mandatory ban

The town of Fishers declared a water emergency Friday and issued an order for mandatory conservation.

The restrictions prohibit all Fishers residents, except those on private wells, from watering grass; washing vehicles at home; using water to clean outdoor surfaces, including buildings; filling empty pools; using hydrants except for fire supression; using non-recycling water fountains; and installing new landscaping. 

The rules will go into effect July 16. The area was already under a request from Citizens Water that residents not water their lawns.

 

Southport mandatory ban

The city of Southport said it was banning watering starting at noon on July 13 until further notice. It was meant to mirror restrictions being implemented by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, city officials said in a news release. Residents are being asked not to water their lawns, wash their vehicles at home or use water in any wasteful manner, the city said.

The Indianapolis ban – which will be enforced by the city’s Code Enforcement Department – was put in place after Citizens Water said a voluntary usage restriction had helped, but not enough.

• LEARN MORE | Get more information on the Indianapolis ban

"Mandatory water restrictions are now necessary to maintain proper water pressure and to ensure adequate water supplies for all central Indiana customers throughout the summer," Citizens Water CEO Carey Lykins said in a news release Wednesday.

 

Brownsburg mandatory ban

The town of Brownsburg also issued mandatory water usage restrictions. The ban will be put in place July 16 and applies to all Brownsburg municipal water customers, the city said in a news release July 12. Banned activities include lawn watering; vehicle washing at home; filling empty pools; installing new landscaping or new sod; using fire hydrants except for fire suppression; and operating water fountains that are non-recycling.

Businesses that depend on water usage – such as nurseries and car washes – will not be held to the ban, the town said, and watering will be allowed at local schools’ in-season athletic fields, parks and golf courses. Homeowners will also be allowed limited watering of flowers, vegetable gardens, trees younger than 5 years old and recently installed sod. However, even that watering should be done by container or hand-held hose with a shutoff valve, not with irrigation systems, the town said.

Even those not on the town’s water system, but on private wells, are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water.

The town already had voluntary restrictions in place, but it wasn’t enough when taking into consideration the continued dry weather, said Town Manager Grant Kleinhenz.

"While we've seen some improvement from the voluntary conservation request, there is very little chance for significant rain in the next two weeks, and our water towers are nearing levels that raise concern,” he said. “The mandatory water restrictions are necessary now to maintain proper water pressure for customers and firefighting activities."

Residents can report violations through the town's online Action Center. Use the General Contact Form. Fines of up to $300 can be issued for those found in violation of the ban.

Lapel water restrictions

The town of Lapel also is asking residents to contribute to conservation efforts and avoid unnecessary water usage. Residents are asked to only water lawns on certain days of the week. Those with even numbered home addresses can water Mondays and Wednesdays, and those with odd addresses can water on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The town asks that no one water lawns on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays.

Residents can water vegetable gardens and flowers, but only with handheld containers or hoses with a shutoff valve, not irrigation systems.

 

Pittsboro mandatory ban

The town of Pittsboro on July 11 issued a mandatory ban on non-essential water usage, to be kept in place until Indianapolis lifts its ban, requested by Citizens Water.

 

Westfield water restrictions

The town of Westfield also has put into place mandatory restrictions on water usage. Those who live in even-numbered residences are asked to water lawns only on Mondays and Wednesday, those in odd-numbered residences only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No one is to water lawns on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the town said.

 

Noblesville water restrictions

Residents of the city of Noblesville also are under mandatory restrictions on water usage.

The restriction put into place in late June by Indiana American Water asks that those who live in even-numbered residences water lawns only on Mondays and Wednesday, those in odd-numbered residences only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No one is to water lawns on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

That restriction will be in place until further notice.

Two other water companies also serve the Noblesville area, Citizens Water and Westfield Utilities. The city advised in a news release Friday that resident should check their water bills or contact their water provider to determine what if any restrictions they are being asked to comply with. As of Friday, the municipality had issued on emergency ordinance and was therefore not enforcing the water companies' restrictions itself.

 

Zionsville and Whitestown mandatory bans

Since late June, lawn watering has been banned in Zionsville and Whitestown, served by Citizens Water. Pressure problems were more of a concern than actual water shortages.