Lawn Watering Program

June 1 through September 30

To ensure an adequate water supply in the hot summer months and to utilize our water resources in an efficient manner, the City of Huron has established an odd-even lawn watering policy from June 1st to September 30th of each calendar year. This is when water demand is the highest: during the late spring and summer months.

The City also prohibits daytime lawn watering during the hours of 10 am to 5 pm every day in order to reduce water wasted through evaporation and allow pumps to refill water storage facilities for evening peak use.

City Ordinance Number 2195-21-76, Section 21.18.015 established the lawn watering policy as follows:

Lawn Watering Policy

Wasting water is never allowed (for example, leaving your hose running).

Permits for New Sod or Newly Seeded Areas

Permits (PDF) for new sod or newly seeded areas are available to allow proper watering in order to establish root growth. Permits shall expire 30 days after installation. After 30 days, normal watering should be sufficient for establishing a new lawn. Permits are available from the City Engineer Office at 239 Wisconsin Avenue SW, Huron, SD.

The planting of new sod or seed during very dry times of the year is discouraged.

Hand Watering of Vegetation

Hand watering of vegetation such as shrubbery, trees, ground covers, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, and flowers is permitted on any day and at any time if the water is applied by hand with a hose that does not leak and is equipped with a hand-held nozzle that automatically shuts off when released.

Lawn Quality

These restrictions should not result in lower quality lawns in the community. Lawns do not need to be watered daily. In reality, watering them daily can be harmful, as the grass plants develop very shallow root systems - making them less drought tolerant, in need of more frequent watering and accessible to fewer soil nutrients. By watering less frequently and more deeply, grass plants develop deeper roots, require less frequent watering, and are healthier.

Midday watering results in a lot of water being lost to evaporation, so it is not an efficient time of day to water. This watering practice wastes a lot of water.

Purpose

The City has implemented the lawn water program for the following reasons:

  • The City is committed to being a good steward of our natural resources, and these water-use practices will result in more efficient use of the City's water supply.
  • By reducing the amount of water used by the City through water conservation and by spreading the load and reducing peak demand through scheduled watering, the City can postpone expansion of the water supply to meet user demand. This results in significant cost savings and in the long run, will help keep the City's water fees down.

If you have any questions about the lawn watering policy or water conservation, please call the Huron Engineering Department at 605-353-8510.

Wasted Water Infographic