Surprise Water Restrictions 2026
Maricopa County · Arizona
Published:
Restrictions Active - Stage 2 Mandatory Conservation - SRP + Colorado River Tier 2
2
Days/Week
Before 10:00 AM
Allowed Hours
$200 first · $400 second
Max Fine
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| Address Ending | Watering Day |
|---|---|
| Odd | Tuesday & Friday |
| Even | Wednesday & Saturday |
Allowed Watering Hours
No outdoor irrigation between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Stage 2 limits residential irrigation to 2 days per week (down from the 3-day permanent baseline). No irrigation Sunday, Monday, or Thursday under Stage 2.
Still Allowed
💧 Hand Watering
Allowed with shut-off nozzle. Hours: Any day with a hand-held hose fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle, before 10:00 AM or after 6:00 PM.
🌿 Drip Irrigation
Exempt from day-of-week limits. Must follow allowed hours.
Fines & Enforcement
$200 first · $400 second
Surprise Water Resource Management issues civil citations of $200 for first offences and $400 for second; commercial properties face up to $2,500. Surprise uses AMI smart-meter data to flag off-schedule consumption. Report violations to Surprise Water Resource Management at 623-222-1900.
Citations begin September 2025🏠 HOA Rules During Restrictions
Arizona Revised Statute §33-1902 prohibits HOAs from fining residents for brown or dormant lawns during a declared water shortage. ARS §33-1808 protects xeriscape rights. Sun City Grand and other 55-plus communities in Surprise are subject to these state laws, HOA rules cannot override the state-level protections triggered by Stage 2.
If your homeowners association sends a violation notice for a dormant or brown lawn during the current restriction period, respond in writing citing the applicable law and include a copy of the City of Surprise Water Resource Management's current restriction order. Most HOAs will rescind the notice once they are made aware of the legal protections in place. If the issue persists, contact your county’s code enforcement division for assistance.
Why These Restrictions Exist
The City of Surprise serves roughly 160,000 residents on the far West Valley side of the Phoenix metro. Like neighbouring Peoria, Glendale, and Goodyear, Surprise relies on a mix of Salt River Project (SRP) surface water, Central Arizona Project (CAP) Colorado River deliveries, and groundwater from the Hassayampa and Phoenix Active Management Area aquifers. SRP storage at 52% and a 21% cut to CAP allocation forced Stage 2 activation. Surprise has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States over the past decade, much of that growth came in master-planned communities (Sun City Grand, Marley Park, Surprise Farms) that were designed with desert landscaping standards already in place, which gives the city a head-start on Stage 2 compliance.
This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the Surprise area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.
How to Keep Your Lawn Alive During Surprise Water Restrictions
11 tips tailored for Surprise homeowners during Stage 2 Mandatory Conservation - SRP + Colorado River Tier 2 restrictions.
Surprise master-planned communities (Sun City Grand, Marley Park) often have community-wide drought-tolerant landscape standards, verify your HOA's current requirements before installing or removing turf.
Bermuda is the only practical summer turf in Surprise; accept golden winter dormancy rather than overseed with ryegrass.
Apply 3 inches of decomposed granite over ornamental beds, wood chip mulch dries within weeks under Surprise's low humidity.
Replace front-yard turf using the regional Water, Use It Wisely rebate framework; Surprise participates in the metro xeriscape conversion program.
Install subsurface drip on shrubs and trees, topical drip cracks under direct Arizona UV within 2 seasons.
Use a smart controller with the SRP/Arizona ET preset; WaterSense-labeled units earn Surprise rebates.
Cycle-and-soak on Surprise's hardpan and clay soils: 2 minutes on, 30-minute pause, 2 minutes on.
Mow Bermuda at 1–1.5 inches in summer to shade the crown; raise to 1.5 inches under heat stress.
Fix leaks within 24 hours, Surprise's summer evaporation can waste 400+ gallons per night from a stuck valve.
Harvest AC condensate for potted plants, a 3-ton AC produces 5–20 gallons per day in Surprise summers and is exempt.
Track usage at surpriseaz.gov via your utility account, Stage 2 targets a 10% reduction versus your prior-year baseline.
Surprise Water Restriction FAQs
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