Water restrictions in Harford County, MD — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Harford County runs no single water utility. Statewide, Md. Code, Environment §5-502(a) requires a permit from the Department of the Environment to appropriate or use any waters of the State, so large lawn irrigation needs a water-use permit.
Outdoor watering in Harford County draws on municipal systems in Bel Air, Aberdeen, and Havre de Grace, the county's own supply, and private wells. The controlling state law is Md. Code, Environment §5-502(a): every person must obtain a permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment to appropriate or use any surface water or groundwater. Ordinary household and small garden use is exempt, but a large irrigation withdrawal requires a water-appropriation permit. During drought, MDE issues watches and warnings that trigger conservation, and individual utilities impose odd-even or day-of-week sprinkling limits on their customers.
Appropriating water without a required permit under Environment §5-502 draws MDE enforcement and penalties. Breaking a local water supplier's mandatory sprinkling schedule during a drought brings fines set by that utility.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Harford County, MD
No Harford County or Maryland law limits holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays. A homeowner can decorate without a county permit. The only real limit...
Harford County, MD
A garage-sale sign on your own lawn is fine in Harford County under the county's temporary-sign rules. But a sign staked in a state highway right-of-way, on ...
Harford County, MD
Political signs are fine on your own lawn in Harford County, subject to neutral limits. County zoning caps a temporary sign at 32 square feet and 6 feet high...
Harford County, MD
Harford County requires no general rental license, but Maryland does require registration. Every owner of a pre-1978 rental must register each unit with the ...
Harford County, MD
Maryland requires no just cause to end a tenancy, and Harford County has added none. A landlord evicts only through District Court, never self-help, but may ...
Harford County, MD
Harford County has no rent control. Maryland sets no statewide cap and does not preempt local rent stabilization, so a county or town may adopt one; Harford ...
See how Harford County's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.