Putnam County, FL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Section 45-515(d), inside the county's landscaping installation standards (LDC Article VII, Division 3), requires an approved irrigation plan before permitting whenever landscaping or screening is required by the Code, with water use zones shown on the plan and turf grass irrigated separately from tree, shrub and groundcover beds. Reclaimed or non-potable water must be used if Putnam County Public Works determines a source is available. Automatic systems must carry moisture sensor or rain gauge equipment so they do not run during wet weather, and low-volume, emitter or target irrigation is the preferred method for trees, shrubs and groundcovers; irrigation overthrow onto impervious surfaces is barred outright.

The operative watering-restriction clause folds county irrigation into whichever regional water management district covers the property, most of unincorporated Putnam County sits in the St. Johns River Water Management District, with a western strip in the Suwannee River Water Management District, and systems must be operated to conform to that district's mandatory water use restrictions, meaning the binding watering-day and time rules come from the district's own regulation rather than a county-set calendar. The adjoining xeriscape standard at § 45-516 reinforces the same conservation goal by requiring water-conserving plant selection and consolidated turf areas for non-residential, multifamily and planned developments. Compliance is confirmed at the irrigation-plan review stage, before any landscaping permit issues.