Franklin Township, PA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Franklin Township, PA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Shortage declared by Township, DEP, or DRBC
- Lawn watering
- Prohibited outright during shortage
- Garden/tree watering exception
- Bucket or pail, 5 p.m.-9 a.m. only
- Pool filling
- Banned during declared shortage
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 plus costs, up to 90 days jail
- Waiver path
- Written request to Board of Supervisors
Summary
Franklin Township bans lawn watering, pool filling and most other nonessential water uses the moment the Township, DEP or the Delaware River Basin Commission declares a shortage. Garden and tree watering survives only as a hand-carried, off-peak exception under § 26-113.
§ 26-113. Water Conservation Requirements. ... ... 1. When the Township, DEP and/or DRBC declares a water shortage, the following water uses are declared nonessential and are prohibited within Franklin Township: A. The watering of lawns. B. The watering of outdoor gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs and other outdoor plants, except between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., by means of a bucket or pail at the minimum rate necessary. ... ... J. The use of water to fill and top off swimming pools. § 26-11 ... ... 8. Violations and Penalties. ... shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues or each section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 26-113 of the Township Code takes effect only when a water shortage is declared by the Township itself, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, or the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), whose jurisdiction covers the White Clay Creek and Big Elk Creek watersheds that drain the township. Once declared, ten specific uses become "nonessential" and are flatly prohibited: watering lawns outright; washing cars and trucks except for safety or operational needs; washing streets, driveways and sidewalks; serving water in restaurants unless a customer asks; running fountains, artificial waterfalls and reflecting pools; flushing sewers or hydrants without health or safety approval; fire companies testing apparatus without Township sign-off; road crews or contractors using hydrants outside firefighting; and filling or topping off swimming pools.
, and only by bucket or pail at the minimum rate necessary, ruling out sprinklers and hoses during a declared shortage. The Board of Supervisors may grant a waiver at its discretion on written request showing good cause under § 26-119, so a homeowner with an emergency landscaping need has a path to relief.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 26-113 is enforced under § 26-118: a conviction before a Magisterial District Judge, using the summary-offense procedure of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, carries a fine of up to $1,000 plus costs, and a term of imprisonment up to 90 days if the fine and costs go unpaid. Each day a violation continues, or each separate section violated, counts as its own offense, so a multi-day sprinkler run can stack fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Franklin Township's water restrictions kick in?
Can I still water my garden during a declared shortage?
What happens if I ignore the restrictions?
Can I get an exception for landscaping I just installed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin Township
How Franklin Township compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Franklin Township to another location·View the Pennsylvania landscaping rules overview
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