Rockville, MD Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Rockville, MD, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Rockville City Code § 24-6
- Who declares it
- City Manager, case-by-case
- Restricted activity
- Hose/sprinkler watering of lawns, plants
- Enforcement
- Violations trigger Chapter 24 penalties
- Notice
- Announced regionally via MWCOG
Summary
Rockville's City Manager can declare mandatory water restrictions during a shortage or drought that ban using hoses or sprinklers to water lawns, shrubbery, trees, and gardens citywide.
(a)In the event of a water shortage, drought, emergency, or operational condition, the City Manager may declare system-wide water restrictions. ... Restricted use or absolute curtailment of water use for certain nonessential use include:(1)The use of hoses, sprinkler, or other means for sprinkling or watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers, or any other vegetation;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 24-6, the City Manager may declare system-wide water restrictions during a water shortage, drought, emergency, or operational condition, ranging from voluntary conservation notices up to mandatory restrictions. Once mandatory restrictions take effect, the ordinance bars using hoses, sprinklers, or any other means to sprinkle or water shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers, or any other vegetation. The Mayor and Council do not set a standing watering schedule in the code itself: the trigger, timing, and any specific day/time details are announced by the City Manager and distributed regionally through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments once a restriction is declared.
Violations & Fines
Failure to comply with a mandatory watering restriction ordered by the City Manager is enforceable under Chapter 24 and can subject a violator to the chapter's enforcement actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rockville have a permanent lawn watering schedule?
What happens if I water my lawn during a mandatory restriction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockville
How Rockville compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Rockville to another location·View the Maryland landscaping rules overview
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