Sun City Water Restrictions: EPCOR's Four Stages
Water restrictions in Sun City come from EPCOR's curtailment tariff, not a city ordinance. See what each of the four stages asks of a sprinkler or drip system.
Irrigation Guides5 min read
Sun City's water utility defines four curtailment stages, and only Stage 4 makes outdoor limits mandatory, banning lawn, tree and shrub irrigation including drip. Stages 2 and 3 ask for voluntary cuts of about 50 percent. The stages sit in EPCOR's Sun City Water District tariff, so check with EPCOR for the stage in force before changing a controller.
Water restrictions in Sun City do not come from a municipal drought ordinance, because Sun City is unincorporated and has no city council to pass one. They come from the curtailment section of EPCOR Water Arizona's tariff for the Sun City Water District, approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission and effective February 1, 2022.
Where do Sun City's water restrictions come from?
They come from a utility tariff, not a city code. The Sun City Water District tariff contains a four-stage curtailment plan tied to how full EPCOR's storage is and how well its wells are producing. The plan is filed with ADEQ as part of EPCOR's emergency operations plan.
The link to wells is literal. EPCOR's 2025 water quality report says the district pumps groundwater from the West Salt River Valley sub-basin, with the water table sitting anywhere from about 150 feet down to more than 500. A stage change therefore reflects storage and well conditions, not a date on the calendar or a lake level elsewhere in the state.
What does each stage ask of a sprinkler system?
Each stage is triggered by storage or well production staying below a threshold for a set number of hours, plus an identified supply problem such as a falling water table. Only Stage 4 carries mandatory outdoor rules and the threat of disconnection.
| Stage | Trigger in the tariff | What it asks of outdoor watering |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Storage at full capacity, no known supply problem | Normal operation; no curtailment, no notice |
| 2 | Below 80 percent for 48 hours, plus a supply problem | Voluntary cut of about 50 percent; essential outside watering only, split on a uniform basis such as even and odd days, none on weekends and holidays |
| 3 | Below 50 percent for 24 hours, plus a supply problem | Voluntary cut of about 50 percent; all outside watering eliminated except for livestock |
| 4 | Below 25 percent for 12 hours, plus a supply problem | Mandatory: irrigation of lawns, trees, shrubs or any plant life prohibited, drip and misting systems prohibited; non-compliance results in disconnection |
From Stage 2 onward, EPCOR notifies customers in writing, door to door or by mail, and from Stage 3 it posts signs at well and pump sites. The tariff defines the stages; it does not announce one, so the current stage is a question for EPCOR.
How should a Sun City controller be set up before any notice?
Set it up so it can switch off, change days and cut run times in under a minute. A controller in a carport or garage that nobody has opened since the house was replumbed is the slowest part of responding to a Stage 2 request. Four abilities cover every stage:
- One setting that suspends all automatic programs (often labelled off or rain).
- Watering days that can be set to odd or even dates.
- A seasonal or water-budget percentage that shortens every station at once.
- A manual run for one station, for checking without restarting the schedule.
EPA WaterSense notes that a labelled weather-based or soil-moisture controller can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons a year. A smart controller still needs a person to set the allowed days at Stage 2 and to turn it off at Stage 4. If the timer cannot do these things, Irrigation Controller Not Working? Sun City Checks walks through the usual faults, and smart irrigation controllers in Sun City covers replacement.
Which plants get water first during a cut-back?
Established trees come first, because they are slow and costly to replace; turf and annual beds can be cut first. University of Arizona Extension's watering guide says mature trees and shrubs generally need water no more than once a week in summer, delivered deep at the drip line.
That ranking fits Sun City lots, where homes built between 1960 and the late 1970s often carry trees decades old that would take years to replace. On golf course lots along North, South, Lakes West, Lakes East or Riverview, the view clause in the SCHOA covenants also makes a healthy perimeter worth protecting. Fix leaks straight away at any stage, because a leaking lateral wastes water whether or not a cut is in force.
How do the stages compare with the seasons?
The stages respond to supply, but plant demand follows the weather. Extension puts summer water use at three to five times winter use, and AMWUA's regional advice is a schedule change with every season, four or more a year. A voluntary Stage 2 request in January asks far less of a yard than the same request in July. The cooler months are covered in Winter Watering Schedule for Sun City Trees and Shrubs.
Next step in Sun City
If the controller will not hold a program or cannot be set to odd and even days, start with irrigation controller repair in Sun City. The irrigation controller repair page explains the general work, and the Sun City service area page lists every local service.
FAQ
Are there mandatory watering days in Sun City?
- Not during normal operation. EPCOR's curtailment tariff only makes outdoor limits mandatory at Stage 4. Stage 2 suggests splitting outside watering on a uniform basis such as even and odd days, but as a voluntary request. Check with EPCOR for the stage currently in force.
Can I run drip irrigation during a Stage 4 curtailment?
- No. At Stage 4 the Sun City Water District tariff prohibits irrigation of lawns, trees, shrubs or any plant life and specifically prohibits drip and misting systems of any kind. Failure to comply results in disconnection under the tariff.
How will I know if EPCOR declares a curtailment stage?
- From Stage 2 the tariff requires EPCOR to notify customers in writing, delivered to each service address or mailed to the billing address. From Stage 3 it also posts signs showing the stage at well and pump sites within the district.
Do Sun City water restrictions come from SCHOA or Maricopa County?
- Neither. The curtailment stages are part of EPCOR Water Arizona's tariff for the Sun City Water District, approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. SCHOA enforces deed restrictions on lot condition, and the county issues permits, but neither sets watering limits.
What does a 50 percent voluntary cut mean for my yard?
- It is a request to roughly halve total use. Outdoors, that usually means suspending turf watering, keeping deep, infrequent water on established trees, and fixing any leak at once. Plant water use is far lower in winter, so the same request costs a yard less in the cool months.
Sources
- Sun City Water District tariff epcor.com
- 2025 water quality report epcor.com
- EPA WaterSense epa.gov
- watering guide extension.arizona.edu