Elko Water Restrictions 2026
Elko County · Nevada
Published:
Restrictions Active - Mandatory Summer Conservation Schedule (June 15 – September 15)
3
Days/Week
Before 10:00 a.m.
Allowed Hours
$50 first · $100 second · $300 third · service shut-off after 4 offenses in season
Max Fine
Find Your Watering Day
Enter the last digit of your street address:
View full address schedule table
| Address Ending | Watering Day |
|---|---|
| Even | Sunday & Wednesday & Friday |
| Odd | Tuesday & Thursday & Saturday |
Allowed Watering Hours
Elko City Code Title 9, Chapter 1, §9-1-12 and §9-1-13 set a mandatory June 15 – September 15 conservation schedule. Sprinkler irrigation is limited to 3 days per week (even addresses Sun/Wed/Fri, odd Tue/Thu/Sat), only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on the assigned day. No sprinkler watering on Mondays. Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle is allowed any day, including Mondays, outside the 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. blackout.
Still Allowed
💧 Hand Watering
Allowed with shut-off nozzle. Hours: Any day with a hand-held hose fitted with a shut-off nozzle, outside the 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. blackout. Hand watering is the only outdoor watering permitted on Mondays..
🌿 Drip Irrigation
Exempt from day-of-week limits. Must follow allowed hours.
Fines & Enforcement
$50 first · $100 second · $300 third · service shut-off after 4 offenses in season
Elko enforces a graduated fine structure under §9-1-13: $50 for the first offense in the conservation period, $100 for the second, and $300 for the third. Residents with four or more offenses in a single conservation period may have city water service shut off until the season ends. The City Conservation Goal published by the Water Department is a 10% reduction in city-wide water use.
Citations begin June 15, 2026🏠 HOA Rules During Restrictions
Nevada Revised Statutes §116.4225 prohibits HOAs from requiring residents to violate municipal water rules. HOAs in Elko cannot require sprinkler watering on Mondays, during the 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. blackout, or outside the address-parity day assignment. Brown or dormant lawns following the city schedule are protected from HOA fines.
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 Elko Water Department'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
Elko – the Elko County seat and the regional hub of north-eastern Nevada, population roughly 21,000 – sits in a high-desert climate with hot dry summers and cold winters. The city draws drinking water from local groundwater wells and operates a separate City Water Reclamation Facility that produces over 300 million gallons of recycled water annually for hay and alfalfa irrigation at the Elko County Fairgrounds and the Elko Land Application Site, offsetting demand on the potable system. The city's conservation goal is a 10% reduction in total water use during the summer schedule. Important boundary: only properties served by the City of Elko Water Department are subject to §9-1-12 and §9-1-13. Spring Creek, immediately east of Elko, is served by Utilities Inc. and operates under a separate utility's rules.
This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the Elko area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.
How to Keep Your Lawn Alive During Elko Water Restrictions
10 tips tailored for Elko homeowners during Mandatory Summer Conservation Schedule (June 15 – September 15) restrictions.
Identify your address parity: even waters Sun/Wed/Fri; odd waters Tue/Thu/Sat. No sprinkler use on Mondays.
Set automatic controllers to run only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on assigned days – the blackout applies all summer.
Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle is the only outdoor watering allowed on Mondays – use it for tomatoes, container gardens, and high-value shrubs.
Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass dominate Elko's older neighbourhoods; mow at 75 to 90 mm during summer to shade the soil.
Cycle-and-soak on north-eastern Nevada's clay-loam soils: 6 minutes on, 30 minutes off, 6 minutes on, to prevent runoff.
After 4 inches+ of monsoon-style rainfall in any week, skip the next assigned cycle – soil moisture resets for several days.
Mulch ornamental beds with 50 to 75 mm of bark to reduce summer evaporation in Elko's low humidity.
Convert front-yard turf to Buffalo Grass, Blue Grama, or a Great Basin native bunchgrass mix for substantial water savings.
Three offenses in one season is enforceable at $300; four offenses can mean a service shut-off – take a violation notice seriously.
If you are in Spring Creek, ignore the Elko City schedule and follow Utilities Inc. rules instead – the boundary matters.
Elko Water Restriction FAQs
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