Columbus, GA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Columbus, GA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. banned
- Enforcing body
- Board of Water Commissioners
- 1st violation
- written warning only
- 4th+ violation
- $100 fine, service shutoff
- Legal basis
- O.C.G.A. § 12-5-7
Summary
Columbus, Georgia restricts outdoor watering for lawns, trees, and landscaping to the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. under a mandatory water-use ordinance enforced citywide by the consolidated government's water utility.
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 12-5-7, outdoor watering for the purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants may only occur between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.; provided that this limitation shall not create any limitation upon the following outdoor water uses:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10B-91 of the Columbus, Georgia Code of Ordinances, adopted under O.C.G.A. section 12-5-7, bars outdoor watering of ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants except between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. The rule exempts drip and soaker-hose irrigation, hand watering with an automatic shutoff, newly installed turf for its first 30 days, personal food gardens, and water drawn from a private well on the same property. Because Columbus and Muscogee County merged into one consolidated government in 1971, the restriction applies countywide, and the Columbus Board of Water Commissioners enforces it.
Violations & Fines
The Columbus Board of Water Commissioners issues a written warning for a first violation, then $25, $50, and $100 administrative penalties added to the water bill for the second through fourth violations, plus service termination after a fourth violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I water my lawn in Columbus, Georgia?
What's the penalty for watering at the wrong time in Columbus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
How Columbus compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Columbus to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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