Florence County, SC Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Florence 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
- Restricted watering days
- Wed/Sat (odd addresses), Thu/Sun (even addresses)
- Residential cap, extreme drought
- 55 gal/person/day, 220 gal/household/day
- Residential target, moderate drought
- 75 gal/person/day, 300 gal/household
- First-offense penalty
- Up to 30 days jail or $25 fine (Sec. 29-28)
- Enforcing agency
- County Sheriff and County Administrator
- Reconnection fee
- $50.00 after service disconnection
Summary
Once Florence County Council declares a severe or extreme drought alert, unincorporated county water customers must water lawns and landscaping only on assigned days: Wednesday and Saturday for odd-numbered addresses, Thursday and Sunday for even. Sec. 29-24 also bans sprinklers in favor of hand-held watering and caps residential use at 55 to 75 gallons per person per day during the restriction.
3.Residential: Restrict water use to 55 gallons per person per day, and a maximum of 220 gallons per household per day.
Reduce domestic water use to minimum levels necessary to maintain health and safety.
Prohibit water-based recreational activities that require filling, such as swimming pools, water slides, and other related water activities.
Use low-volume hand-held applications only and prohibit sprinklers, other remote broadcast devices, and water runoff in landscape design and maintenance.
Restrict landscape watering to Wednesday and Saturday for odd-numbered addresses, and Thursday and Sunday for even-numbered addresses. ... Sec. 29-28. - Fines and penalties. (a)Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Florence County Code, any person or officer of a corporate entity found guilty of violation of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and sentenced to not less than 30 days or $25.00 or both on the first offense; 30 days or $50.00, or both, on the second offense; and 30 days or $100.00, or both, on the third and subsequent offenses.
Full Breakdown
Florence County's Water Conservation ordinance, Chapter 29, sets a three-tier drought alert system tied to the Palmer Drought Index and the South Carolina Drought Response Act of 1985. A moderate drought alert (Sec. 29-24(1)) asks for voluntary reductions: a 30 percent cut for residential customers, targeting 75 gallons per person per day and 300 gallons per household. Once county council declares a severe or extreme alert by resolution, the restrictions become mandatory. At both severe and extreme levels the county bans aesthetic water use such as fountains and reflecting pools, limits new pool filling, and requires low-volume hand-held irrigation only, no sprinklers or remote broadcast devices.
Landscape watering is confined to Wednesday and Saturday for odd-numbered street addresses and Thursday and Sunday for even-numbered addresses. During an extreme alert, the per-person residential cap tightens to 55 gallons per day and 220 gallons per household per day, down from the 75/300-gallon moderate-phase targets. 'Water use, landscape' is defined in Sec. 29-22 as water used to maintain gardens, trees, lawns, shrubs, flowers, athletic fields, rights-of-way and medians, so ornamental beds and turf both fall under the restriction. The county sheriff and the county administrator's staff enforce the restrictions once a drought alert is declared, and customers facing equipment damage or another extreme circumstance can apply in writing to the county administrator under Sec.
29-30 for a temporary variance pending county council action. The rules apply to the county water service area, defined as the area served by county-owned water infrastructure; the ordinance does not reach private wells outside that service area.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 29-28 makes a first violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $25.00 fine, rising to $50.00 for a second offense and $100.00 for a third or later offense, with either penalty or both at the court's discretion. Each day a willful violation continues is a separate offense. The county can also disconnect a customer's water service after one certified-mail warning and charge a $50.00 reconnection fee before restoring service.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Florence County's watering-day rules apply?
What is the penalty for watering on the wrong day?
Can I request a variance from the watering schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Florence County
How Florence County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Florence County to another location·View the South Carolina landscaping rules overview
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