Dougherty County, GA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Dougherty County, 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
- Watering hours
- Irrigation allowed only 4:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m.
- Enforcing agency
- Dougherty County Police Department
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 and/or six months jail
- Minimum probation
- 120 days of any sentence probated
- Exemptions
- 13 listed uses, including drip irrigation, hand watering
- Adopted by
- Resolution No. 10-039, effective Nov. 1, 2010
Summary
In unincorporated Dougherty County, outdoor irrigation of lawns, trees, and other plantings is restricted to the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. under County Code § 2-17.5-31. Thirteen listed exemptions, including drip irrigation, hand watering, new landscape establishment, and private well use, remain unrestricted. The Dougherty County Police Department enforces the rule, and violators face fines up to $1,000 in Magistrate Court.
Outdoor irrigating for purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants in the unincorporated area of Dougherty County may occur only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. ... The Dougherty County Police Department shall be the enforcement authority for this chapter. ... Any person violating any provision of these regulations, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or six (6) months imprisonment or both, provided the judge shall probate no less than one hundred twenty (120) days of any sentence imposed, except as otherwise provided by general law.
Full Breakdown
5-31, adopted by Resolution No. m. 2, use of reclaimed waste water from an EPD-permitted system, irrigation of personal food gardens, watering new or replanted turf and landscaping for the first thirty days after installation, drip irrigation or soaker hoses, hand watering with an automatic-cutoff hose or handheld container, water drawn from a private well or on-site surface water, irrigation of horticultural crops held for sale, watering of athletic fields, golf courses, or public turf recreation areas, installation or calibration of irrigation systems, and hydroseeding.
5-32 assigns enforcement to the Dougherty County Police Department, though the county administrator may authorize other departments to assist. §§ 15-10-60 through 15-10-66. A conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and the sentencing judge must probate at least 120 days of any jail sentence except where general law provides otherwise; if probation is revoked, the defendant serves no more than 60 days in county jail.
Violations & Fines
Watering outside the 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. window without qualifying for one of the thirteen exemptions is a misdemeanor under § 2-17.5-32. The Dougherty County Police Department investigates and issues citations, which are heard in Magistrate Court. A conviction brings a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months of jail time, with at least 120 days of any sentence probated unless general law says otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can I water my lawn in unincorporated Dougherty County?
Are there exceptions to the watering-hours rule?
What happens if I violate the irrigation ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dougherty County
How Dougherty County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Dougherty County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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