Restricting outdoor water use

Single-family homes: Installation of new turf is prohibited in front yards, and turf must not exceed 5,000 square feet in side and back yards.

Multifamily homes (apartments, condos): New turf is prohibited in common areas or front yards (except for private or public parks).

Non-residential developments: Installation of new turf is prohibited with the exception of community-use recreational turf, golf courses or sports complexes.

Single-family homes: No new turf is allowed in front yards. Turf in side and rear yards may not exceed 50 percent, or 100 square feet, whichever is greater. Turf area may not be less than 100 square feet or more than 5,000 square feet.

Multifamily homes (apartments, condos): New turf is prohibited in common areas or front yards (except for privately-owned parks) with an area greater than 100 square feet.

Non-residential developments: New turf is prohibited except for major schools, parks or cemeteries.

Single-family homes: No new turf is allowed in front yards. Turf in side and rear yards may not exceed 50 percent, or 100 square feet, whichever is greater. Turf area may not be less than 100 square feet.

Multifamily homes (apartments, condos): New turf is prohibited in common areas, except for public and privately-owned parks as long as turf area is not less than 100 square feet.

Non-residential developments: New turf installation is prohibited, unless specifically permitted by approval of land use application.

Single-family homes: No new turf is allowed in front yards. New turf installed in side and rear yards may not exceed 50 percent, or 100 square feet, whichever is greater. Turf area may not be more than 5,000 square feet.

Multifamily homes (apartments, condos): New turf is prohibited in common areas, except for public and privately-owned parks as long as turf area is not less than 100 square feet.

Non-residential developments: New turf installation is prohibited, unless specifically permitted by approval of land use application.

Single-family homes: New grass is prohibited in residential front yards and restricted to 50 percent of side and back yards. A maximum of 5,000 square feet of turf is allowed.

Multifamily homes (apartments, condos): Turf is prohibited in common areas of residential neighborhoods. This does NOT apply to parks, including required open space in multifamily developments.

Non-residential developments: Prohibited unless specifically permitted by a land use application that is approved by the city.

Water restrictions limit the washing of vehicles and prohibit or restrict surface building and equipment washing.

Vehicle washing

Personal vehicles may be washed at residential properties once a week per vehicle and requires a positive shut-off nozzle on the garden hose. There is no limitation on how often you can wash your vehicle if the guidelines for commercial vehicles are followed or a high-pressure, low-volume sprayer is used.

Commercial vehicle washing is prohibited except where water is captured to a sanitary sewer through approved methods or where a high-pressure, low-volume sprayer using less than 10 gallons per vehicle is used.

Mobile car washing is allowed if the company uses a high-pressure, low-volume sprayer and less than 10 gallons of water per vehicle. We also recommend you use a Water Smart Car Wash.

Surface, building, and equipment washing

The washing of surfaces, buildings and equipment is prohibited unless water is discharged to a sanitary sewer through approved methods or contained on site. This includes surface washing by restaurants and fast food chains.

All fountains and water features using water provided by an SNWA member agency are subject to the water restrictions below. This includes the use of water that has been recycled or reprocessed by the customer.

Single-family residences can have fountains and water features with a surface area of less than 25 square feet.

Fountains and water features are prohibited for commercial use, with the following exemptions:

• Fountains and water features supplied by privately-owned water rights
• Fountains or water features that are necessary and functional components serving other allowable uses (for example, storage ponds on a golf course or aeration devices)
• Indoor water features or features with most the total water volume contained indoors or underground
• Recreational water parks, both public and private
• Fountains and water features at resorts as defined by the governing jurisdiction
• Fountains or water features necessary to sustain aquatic animals, if such animals are of significant value and have been actively managed within the water feature prior to declaration of drought

Residential mist systems are allowed under water restrictions, but each jurisdiction has regulations limiting commercial use to certain months and times of day. Contact your local water provider for specific information.

Golf courses are subject to an annual water budget of 6.3 acre-feet of water per irrigated acre, with appropriate surcharges applied to any water used over the budgeted amounts. Surcharges are assessed on an annual basis and are in addition to the price paid for water. Courses that go over their water budget have significant financial penalties assessed to the excess water use.

Golf courses are water-budgeted based upon acre-feet of water (including potable, raw, reclaimed and recycled water) for each acre currently being irrigated. The irrigated acreage includes lakes and ponds existing within a golf course and lakes and ponds serving, in total or in part, as a golf course irrigation reservoir. Once measured, the irrigated acreage shall remain fixed, thus creating incentive for golf courses to convert unneeded turf to other styles of water-efficient landscaping. If a golf course expands its course by increasing the number of playing holes, a new irrigated acreage will be determined.

Most government jurisdictions in the Las Vegas Valley have laws that prevent a homeowners' association (HOA) from restricting the installation of a water-saving landscape. An HOA may require homeowners to submit landscape design plans for approval; however, the HOA cannot require a homeowner to install grass nor can it prohibit water-efficient landscapes. An HOA may restrict the use of some types of landscape materials, such as artificial turf. To avoid problems, review all appropriate HOA policies that may apply to your new landscaping project before proceeding.

Note: Restrictions may vary based on individual jurisdictions. Contact your local water provider for specific information.