Albemarle County, VA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville does not regulate ordinary lawn or garden watering by standing ordinance; instead, County Code § 16-500 gives the Board of Supervisors and the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) authority to impose water-use restrictions only once the Board has declared an emergency arising from a water supply shortage. m. The same order can bar washing vehicles outside a licensed commercial car wash, washing sidewalks, driveways, or building exteriors, running ornamental fountains, using fire hydrant water for non-firefighting purposes, and filling or refilling swimming and wading pools beyond two feet below normal level.

Restrictions take effect once published in a local newspaper or broadcast on radio or television serving the county. The Authority must set up an appeals process so customers can request a case-by-case exemption, weighing the applicant's hardship against the impact on the water supply, and can grant temporary exemptions. If restrictions alone prove insufficient, the Authority may impose temporary rate surcharges, cut off water to industrial or commercial users beyond basic sanitary needs, halt new water connections issued a building permit after the emergency declaration, and limit use to basic human needs.