Triangle residents face penalties and fines as water restrictions rise
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- Much of the Triangle is in exceptional drought; the drought covers the entire state.
- In Raleigh, there have been 639 violations, 366 educational letters and 102 warnings.
- Durham imposed mid‑June restrictions, escalating fines that lead to disconnection.
Much of the Triangle is in exceptional drought, prompting new water restrictions and possible fines for residents.
There are more than 100 water systems in the state that have enacted mandatory or voluntary water restrictions due to the drought, which covers the entire state.
Raleigh is 18.59 inches below its average rainfall since August 2025, and Falls Lake, Raleigh’s primary water source, is 5 feet below its target level. As of mid-June, Durham was about 10-12 inches below normal since the start of the year, said Barrett Smith, senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
Raleigh drought violations
There have been 639 violations reported, 366 educational letters issued and 102 official warnings issued since Raleigh enacted water restrictions, said Ed Buchan, assistant director of Raleigh Water.
Those Level 1 restrictions began in April, limiting automatic, manual and hose-ended sprinklers to only Tuesday and Wednesdays, depending on a person’s address. Handheld hose water and drip irrigation is allowed at any time.
The violations are scattered throughout the city, he said, but tend to be in neighborhoods with homeowner associations that require “green lawns,” and commercial properties, including churches and apartment buildings, have been cited.
“We’ve seen multiple issues with new developments, as homebuilders are looking to establish sod yards,” he said. “We have worked with our Stormwater team so that a (certificate of occupancy) can still be issued assuming they have temporary ground cover installed, e.g. brown top millet, straw matting and seed, and they can come back later to install permanent cover like turf sod.”
Some of the violations were multiple reports for the same address or the property owner was using an irrigation well and not required to follow the water restrictions, but the person reporting the property wasn’t aware of the well.
Violations can be reported to Raleigh Water by calling 919-996-3245 or email customercare@raleighnc.gov.
Durham drought violations
There have been 170 complaints from the public as of Monday, June 29, but not notice of violations issued in the city of Durham. The city began restrictions in mid-June, and spray irrigation and in-ground water sprinklers are prohibited.
“Staff is working to educate about (the) drought and the restrictions first and foremost,” said Joe Lunne, spokesperson for the city’s Water Management Department.
The violation has to be witnessed by a city of Durham employee for a notice of violation.
- 1st violation: verbal warning/education
- 2nd violation: no fine
- 3rd violation: $100 fine
- 4th violation: $250 fine
- 5th violation: Service disconnection
“We have seen a reduction in demand, and we are thankful for our customers and their efforts in reducing demand and following the restrictions,” Lunne said. “We still need to see a further drop in demand, and we also need substantial rain to get us out of this drought.”
Violations can be reported to Durham Water Management at durhamnc.gov.
Reporter Kristen Johnson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Triangle residents face penalties and fines as water restrictions rise."
