Water restrictions in Charleston County, SC — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Charleston County does not impose a mandatory countywide lawn-watering schedule. Your water utility (usually Charleston Water System) sets service terms, and during drought the region uses voluntary conservation appeals, not enforced day-of-week irrigation bans.
There is no Charleston County ordinance dictating which days you may water your lawn. Outdoor water use is governed by your water provider and by South Carolina's Drought Response Act (SC Code Title 49, Chapter 23), which lets the state and utilities declare drought stages. As of 2026 the Lowcountry sits in severe-to-extreme drought under voluntary conservation appeals: residents are asked to curtail lawn irrigation, car washing and pressure washing, with typical guidance of watering about two days per week before 10am or after 6pm. Hand watering of new trees and shrubs stays unrestricted. Mandatory restrictions apply only if a utility or the state formally declares them.
Under voluntary appeals there are no fines. If Charleston Water System or the state declares a mandatory drought stage, the utility's declared restrictions and penalties then apply.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Charleston County's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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