York County, SC Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in York County, SC, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Statewide ban
- None
- Authority
- S.C. Code § 49-23-90
- Declared by
- SC DNR
- Schedules set by
- Local water systems
- River basin
- Catawba-Wateree
Summary
South Carolina sets no statewide lawn-watering ban. In York County, restrictions come from your water provider and the Catawba-Wateree drought plan, triggered when SC DNR declares drought under the Drought Response Act.
Municipalities, counties, public service districts, special purpose districts, and commissions of public works engaged in the business or activity of supplying water for any purpose shall develop and implement drought response ordinances or plans where authority to enact ordinances does not exist. The ordinances or plans must be consistent with the State Drought Response Plan, implemented through the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter. The department shall prepare and distribute a model drought response ordinance or plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
York County draws its water from the Catawba River and Lake Wylie, and the systems that serve it, Rock Hill, York, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Blue Granite Water, set any mandatory irrigation limits. The SC Drought Response Act directs the Department of Natural Resources to declare drought by stage, and S.C. Code Section 49-23-90 requires every water supplier to develop and implement a drought response ordinance or plan consistent with the state plan. Because Lake Wylie and the Catawba are managed by Duke Energy under the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Protocol, a declared drought can bring odd-even or day-of-week outdoor watering schedules and, in severe stages, outdoor bans across the metro.
Violations & Fines
Watering outside your provider's declared schedule brings warnings, surcharges, and escalating fines under the utility's rules, and can lead to flow restriction. There is no direct state penalty on the homeowner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there watering restrictions in York County?
Who sets the Catawba drought schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
How York County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina landscaping rules overview
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