Water restrictions in Bowling Green, KY — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) supplies water to City customers and many Warren County customers via the Barren River intake. BGMU does not impose mandatory year-round watering schedules. The utility encourages voluntary conservation — water during cool parts of the day, check irrigation for over-spray onto pavement, fix leaks. Kentucky has no statewide watering restriction. Mandatory restrictions are reserved for declared drought conditions or system emergencies under the BGMU Rules and Regulations.
Per the BGMU Water Conservation page (bgmu.com/community/water-conservation), BGMU's standing posture is voluntary conservation: water lawns during cooler times to minimize evaporation; check irrigation systems to prevent watering driveways or streets; check toilets for leaks; use full loads on dishwashers and clothes washers; install low-flow shower heads. BGMU draws from the Barren River and provides water to the City of Bowling Green and to bulk customers across Warren County. The BGMU Rules and Regulations (approved April 2023) reserve the right to enforce water restrictions during declared shortages — but there is no daily or weekly irrigation schedule in non-drought conditions. The Kentucky Division of Water has issued only voluntary drought advisories historically; KRS Chapter 151 provides emergency authority during severe statewide drought. Bowling Green's karst aquifer is uniquely vulnerable to over-pumping from private wells, but City customers on BGMU service have abundant Barren River surface supply.
Outside of a declared shortage, there is no specific irrigation-schedule violation. During a declared shortage, BGMU may enforce restrictions under its Rules and Regulations with rate surcharges, citations through the Bowling Green Code Enforcement and Nuisance Board (§ 2-21), or service interruption for repeated non-compliance. Wasteful runoff (water flowing into the street) can be cited as a nuisance independent of drought status.
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