Plymouth County, MA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Plymouth County, MA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- County water system
- None
- State authority
- MGL c.21G
- Permit triggers
- Above threshold withdrawal
- Schedule set by
- Town or district
Summary
Plymouth County runs no water system. Outdoor watering limits come from each town or district's Water Management Act permit under MGL c.21G, which conditions large withdrawals and triggers nonessential-use bans during declared drought.
"Withdrawal", the removal or taking of water from a water source; provided, however, that all removals or takings of water from a particular water source which are made or controlled by a single person shall be deemed to be a single withdrawal of water.
Full Breakdown
There is no county water utility in Plymouth County; supply comes from municipal systems and districts drawing on the Plymouth-Carver sole-source aquifer and local wells. Massachusetts General Laws chapter 21G, the Water Management Act, requires a state permit for any supplier withdrawing above the threshold volume, and those permits carry conditions that cap outdoor irrigation and impose mandatory nonessential-use restrictions when the state declares a drought for the Southeast region. Towns such as Plymouth, Wareham, Duxbury, and Kingston translate their permit conditions into day-of-week and time-of-day watering schedules, tightening to hand-held hoses or full bans as conditions worsen. The schedule binding an address is set by its water supplier under the state permit.
Violations & Fines
Watering outside your supplier's permit-driven schedule draws warnings and escalating fines under the local water regulations, and can lead to flow restriction. Withdrawing above the permitted volume violates MGL c.21G and is enforced by the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sets watering days in Plymouth County?
What law governs water withdrawals here?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth County
How Plymouth County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Plymouth County to another location·View the Massachusetts landscaping rules overview
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