Water Curtailment

The policy of the city is to curtail water use during drought conditions to ensure that the city has adequate fire flow and supply for essential service requirements. The City has developed a five-stage curtailment plan to be invoked in the event of a water supply shortage. These stages are designed to be initiated and implemented in progressive steps.

The City Manager, after consultation with the Mayor, may declare that water usage must be curtailed if the adequacy of the water supply for the city is sufficiently endangered based on the presence of one or more of the following events/conditions: 

Extended period(s) of above average temperatures;
Extended period(s) of above average combined system daily demand;
Lower than normal (seasonally-adjusted) reservoir levels;
Below average spring and well productions;
Transmission line or equipment failure; or
Any other natural or man-made condition/event which reasonably could be seen by the City Manager to interrupt delivery of potable water.

After the declaration has been issued, the City Council may address the water curtailment declaration and modify it as they see fit. 
Public notification of each curtailment stage will be distributed using at least one of the following methods: newspaper, radio, television, City website, and notices delivered to water utility customers. The notice will include the water curtailment stage, findings to establish the curtailment and an effective date. A notice will also be placed on the Dayton Fire Department reader board. Public updates on water curtailment shall be provided during each stage; when a stage is lowered or until it is rescinded. Failure of any affected person to receive notice shall not relieve the user of complying with any restrictions. 

  • During Stage 1 Water Curtailment, all City water users are prohibited from watering lawn, grass or turf except even-numbered addresses on even numbered days of the month and odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days of the month before 10 am and after 6 pm.

  • During Stage 2 Water Curtailment, all City water users are prohibited from the following activities or actions:

    1) Filling new above or in-ground swimming pools or hot tubs;
    2) Cleaning and refilling existing above or in-ground swimming pools or hot tubs;
    3) Leaving hoses or faucets unattended and running; 
    4) Watering, sprinkling or irrigating any lawn, grass or turf. On request, the City Manager may approve exceptions for new landscaping that previously has been planted but not established;
    5) Watering, sprinkling or irrigating flowers, plants, hanging baskets, shrubbery, ground covers, or trees except for hand watering before 10 am and after 6 pm. 
    6) Washing trucks, cars, trailers, tractors or other land vehicles, except in facilities reusing the water in their washing processes;
    7) Power washing of buildings, roofs and homes prior to painting, repair, remodeling or reconstruction or for aesthetic purposes;
    8) Watering, wetting down, or sweeping with water, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, open ground or other hard surfaced areas except where there is a demonstrable need in order to meet public health or safety requirements, such as to alleviate or address fire or sanitation hazards; 
    9) Filling decorative water features, natural or man-made, including but not limited to, fountains, lakes, ponds and streams, except in limited amounts necessary to keep fish or other aquatic animals alive.

     
  • During a declared Stage 3 Water Curtailment, all City water users are subject to the prohibitions outlined in Grade 2 and are prohibited from all outdoor watering except gardens for human consumption at even-numbered addresses on even numbered days of the month and odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days of the month between the hours of 6 pm and 10 am. 

  • During a declared Stage 4 Water Curtailment, all City water users are subject to the prohibitions outlined in Grade 2 and Grade 3 and are prohibited from the following actions:
    1) Watering, sprinkling or irrigating of any gardens.

  • In the event of such declaration, the City Manager has, in addition to the authority for restrictions in a Stages 2 through 4, authority to impose such additional restrictions which he/she reasonably believes will promote the City's ability to deliver water supplies sufficient to meet the City's essential fire and life safety supply needs. The City will inform customers of the emergency water shortage and that water use is only authorized for life support and basic household use.