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Irrigation & Sprinkler Systems in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

Quick answer

A Twin Cities sprinkler system needs a spring start-up, a fall blowout before freezing, a rain or moisture shutoff device required by Minnesota law and backflow protection. It also has to follow your city's watering days and midday ban, which differ from suburb to suburb. Many metro cities offer rebates on WaterSense smart controllers while funding lasts.

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A sprinkler system in the Twin Cities has a different year than one in a warm climate. It gets started up in spring, runs through a summer that can swing from soaking rain to weeks of drought, and has to be blown out with compressed air before the ground freezes, or pipes and valves crack. In between, it has to follow city watering rules that vary from one suburb to the next.

Watering rules in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the suburbs

Many suburbs that run their own water systems set lawn watering schedules and ban sprinkling in the middle of the day. Examples from city guidance:

  • Woodbury assigns each address two watering days a week by zone and bans watering from noon to 5 p.m.
  • Eden Prairie uses an odd/even address schedule with no lawn watering from noon to 5 p.m.
  • Maple Grove has posted odd/even watering with no watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Minneapolis and St. Paul draw from the Mississippi River and have put odd/even schedules and midday bans in place during drought, as they did in 2021. Rules and hours change, so check your own city or water utility each season and program your controller to match.

State requirements

  • Moisture shutoff. Minnesota law requires automatic landscape irrigation systems to have technology that stops or pauses watering when there is enough moisture, such as a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or weather-based controller. The requirement applies to systems installed after July 1, 2003.
  • Backflow protection. A system connected to drinking water needs a backflow prevention assembly so lawn water and fertilizer can't be pulled back into the supply. Who may install and test it, and whether a plumbing permit and periodic testing are required, depends on state plumbing rules and your city, so ask your installer what applies.

Smart controllers and rebates

University of Minnesota Extension recommends against "set it and forget it" schedules, because Minnesota summers vary so much. WaterSense labeled smart controllers adjust to weather. The Metropolitan Council funds water efficiency grants that many metro cities use for rebates on WaterSense irrigation controllers. Each city sets its own terms and funding rounds end, so check your city's water efficiency page before you buy.

Design tips for Twin Cities yards

  • Zone lawn separately from beds, and sun separately from shade.
  • Use drip in planting beds; it's efficient and some cities treat it differently from sprinklers.
  • On heavier soils, use cycle and soak programming; on sandy soils, water deeply but less often.
  • Make sure the system can be fully blown out, with accessible fittings and drainable backflow piping.

Seasonal service

  • Spring start-up: slowly pressurize, check each zone for broken heads and leaks, and reset the controller.
  • Summer checks: adjust heads that spray pavement, and confirm the rain or moisture sensor works.
  • Fall blowout: clear every zone with compressed air before freezing nights arrive, and protect the backflow assembly.

Read our guide to Twin Cities lawn watering rules, or request an irrigation company for a new system, repair or blowout.

See how it works

How a sprinkler zone waters a lawn. Press the buttons to run each step and see what happens inside. Made with Colorfigures ·
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Frequently asked questions

What are the lawn watering rules in my Twin Cities city?

They vary. Woodbury assigns two days a week by zone with no watering from noon to 5 p.m., Eden Prairie uses odd/even days with a noon to 5 p.m. ban, and Minneapolis and St. Paul have added restrictions during drought. Check your city's current page.

Is a rain sensor required on sprinklers in Minnesota?

Minnesota law requires automatic landscape irrigation systems installed after July 1, 2003, to have technology that stops watering when there's enough moisture, such as a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or weather-based controller.

When should I blow out my sprinkler system?

Before sustained freezing nights arrive in fall. Water left in pipes, valves and the backflow assembly can freeze and crack them. Book early, since irrigation companies get busy in October.

Sources and further reading

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