RTV6's Norman Cox went to Fishers Friday evening to see how residents were reacting to the ban, and he found that most people seemed to be cooperating.

Resident Johnny Hendricks was obeying the Citizens Water restrictions to the letter by just watering his trees and plants, not his grass. And he was holding the hose as he applied the water, not just leaving it to overwater and spill out into the street.

But, not everyone in his neighborhood was obeying the rules. Some people were watering but didn't appear to be at home. The sprinklers seemed to be set on timers.

Earlier Friday, RTV6 found several sprinklers going at the Cambridge Square apartments on the northwest side. Operators said they hadn't known about the ban and had since turned off the sprinklers.

In Zionsville, which is also served by Citizens, residents were observing the ban.

Citizens will keep the voluntary ban in place for a week, then re-evaluate. But, if usage doesn't drop enough, it could go to Mayor Greg Ballard sooner and seek a mandatory ban.

Sarah Holsapple, with Citizens Water, said lots of factors affect when, and if, the restriction can be lifted.

"We would need temperatures to drop," Holsapple said. "We would need usage to drop. We would also need a day or two of heavy downpours, you know, to get back to a level where we felt comfortable."

That's a hope Hendricks said he keeps every day.

"Every day you think, 'OK, it's going to rain, it's going to rain,' and just keep the hope that you'll get a nice little rain for the end of the little drought that we're having," Hendricks said.

If the mayor does invoke a mandatory sprinkling ban, violators could have to pay up to $100 for a first violation and $200 for a second.

For subsequent violations, violators would be ordered into environmental court and fined a minimum of $500.