The exceptions are granted because Town officials want to encourage citizens to plant warm season grasses instead of cool season grasses like fescue since warn season grasses require less watering during the hot and often dry summer when Cary’s water demand is high. Without such a permit, all water customers in Cary must abide by the Town’s year-round alternate day outdoor watering law, which began on May 1, 2000.

Under Alternate Day, outdoor watering of grass, gardens, bushes, and other landscape materials is limited to three days a week depending on the property’s street address. Properties with odd numbered street addresses may water outdoors only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Even numbered addresses may water outdoors only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. NO OUTODOOR WATERING IS ALLOWED ON MONDAYS. The year-round law includes outdoor hand watering as well as outdoor automated watering with irrigation systems and sprinklers. The law does not affect outdoor washing of any kind.

The watering exception permit was first developed during the summer of 1999 when the Town had to go to emergency water restrictions. At that time, Town staff developed a system for customers to be able to apply for a permit to allow them to water newly installed landscaping. Because some citizens still prefer fescue, permits for cool-season grasses are from September 15 to December 1. With cool temperatures, short days and adequate precipitation, no watering exception permits are issued from January to March.

"The permits are a common sense approach to helping homeowners and businesses have the opportunity to thoroughly and properly establish turf and warm season grasses, without being in violation of any Town ordinances," said Town of Cary Water Conservation Coordinator Jennifer Platt.

###