Last verified: October 6, 2026, against City of Raleigh.
The City of Raleigh lifted Stage 1 water restrictions beginning Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Recent rainfall brought the Falls Lake water supply pool to 84% full, which meets the requirement to lift restrictions under the City’s Water Supply Plan.
This guide covers what the City of Raleigh said when it lifted the restrictions and how to keep a lawn and landscape efficient while dry conditions continue across the region.
Are There Raleigh Water Restrictions Right Now?
No. The City of Raleigh lifted Stage 1 water restrictions beginning Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, and the City’s alert page showed no water-restriction alert on October 6, 2026. The current water supply level meets the requirement to lift restrictions under the City’s Water Supply Plan. Secondary water sources have also improved, with Lake Benson full and Lake Wheeler nearly full.
With Stage 1 lifted, the Stage 1 limits on irrigation days and hours no longer apply. The City still encourages residents to continue using water wisely, including limiting unnecessary outdoor water use.
Restaurants may serve tap water only upon request. Hotels and bed-and-breakfasts must ask guests staying more than one night to reuse towels and bedsheets.
First-time violators receive a warning. A second violation carries a $100 fine. A third violation is $500.
Why Were the Restrictions Lifted?
Rain over the past two weeks, including several periods of heavy rain, helped increase water levels in Falls Lake, which reached 84% full. Falls Lake is not yet back to full capacity, and dry conditions will continue across the region.
The City said residents’ efforts during Stage 1 restrictions helped lower water use and protect the water supply.
The last time Raleigh implemented mandatory water restrictions was during the severe drought of 2007 and 2008 — a period that fundamentally changed how Triangle communities manage water resources.
How to Keep a Lawn Healthy Now That Restrictions Are Lifted
One watering day per week is enough to keep an established lawn alive in Raleigh — if you water correctly. The key is depth, not frequency.
Water deeply on your designated day. Apply one-half to three-quarters of an inch of water in a single session. This drives moisture down into the root zone where it does the most good. Shallow watering — a few minutes per zone — wets only the surface and encourages shallow root growth that makes your lawn more vulnerable to drought stress between watering days.
Water in the early morning. Watering between 4 AM and 8 AM is still the sensible choice, since temperatures are cool, wind is low, and evaporation is minimal. Avoid watering in the heat of the day or in the evening, which promotes fungal disease.
Raise your mowing height. Taller grass shades the soil, reduces evaporation, and develops deeper roots. Raise fescue to 4 inches. Raise Bermuda to the top of its range at 2 inches. Raise Zoysia to 2.5 inches. This single adjustment can reduce your lawn’s water needs by 20 to 30 percent.
Avoid fertilizing during dry spells. Fertilizer stimulates growth, and growth requires water. Falls Lake is not yet back to full capacity, so waiting for cooler temperatures and rainfall in fall is the safer plan.
Smart Controllers and Drip Irrigation — Your Compliance Tools
Smart irrigation controllers remain a dependable way to keep a landscape healthy on less water. These controllers connect to local weather data and automatically adjust watering schedules based on temperature, rainfall, humidity, and soil moisture. If restrictions return, the controller can be updated once and manage compliance automatically.
Drip irrigation is still an efficient way to water beds. If landscape beds are still on spray heads, converting to drip irrigation allows plantings to be watered whenever they need it. Drip also reduces water consumption in beds by 40 to 60 percent compared to overhead spray.
Why the City Still Asks Residents to Use Water Wisely
The City said that while recent rain has made a big difference, dry conditions will continue across the region and Falls Lake is not yet back to full capacity. Simple actions, like limiting unnecessary outdoor water use, continue to make a difference.
Efficiency habits are worth keeping now that Stage 1 is lifted. Upgrade to a smart controller. Convert beds to drip irrigation. Raise the mowing height. Consider replacing high-water-demand turf areas with native plantings or mulched beds that require minimal supplemental irrigation.
How Raleigh Pro Landscape Can Help
Raleigh Pro Landscape programs every irrigation system it manages to the City’s current rules and updates the programming if the stage changes. Smart controllers, spray-to-drip conversions, and water-wise landscape design are part of that work.
Contact Raleigh Pro Landscape at (919) 823-6150 or fill out our form for a free irrigation assessment. We will evaluate your current system, identify opportunities to reduce water waste, and help you stay compliant while keeping your landscape healthy.
If you are using this to plan the season rather than answer one question, the practical follow-on is what to change on your own property. The rules set a ceiling on how much water you can apply; your system and your mowing decide how much of that ceiling actually reaches the roots. See irrigation for coverage and scheduling, and lawn mowing and care for the seasonal routine that fits inside these limits.
Does Raleigh still limit lawn watering to one day a week?
No. The City of Raleigh lifted Stage 1 water restrictions beginning Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, so the one-day-a-week limit no longer applies. The City still asks residents to use water wisely. Deep, infrequent watering in the early morning still keeps an established lawn alive. Raleigh Pro Landscape schedules Raleigh irrigation accordingly.
What did Stage 1 water restrictions require in Raleigh?
Stage 1 limited irrigation days and hours, had restaurants serve tap water only on request, and asked hotels to get longer-staying guests to reuse towels. Violations brought a warning first, then a $100 fine, then $500. Raleigh lifted them on Aug. 3, 2026. Raleigh Pro Landscape helps Raleigh lawns stay efficient.
Raleigh yard plan step
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