Sampson County, NC Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Sec. 4-10 governs Water Supply District 1; a mirror ordinance at Sec. 4-11 covers District 2. Under Sec. 4-10-03.A, the governing body declares Voluntary Conservation when a potential shortage exists and calls on customers to cut back, especially 'Class 3' non-essential uses such as irrigation. Sec. 4-10-03.B raises that to Mandatory Conservation when raw water supplies run consistently below seasonal averages: the county keeps pushing voluntary cutbacks but imposes an outright ban on all Class 3 water uses for as long as the shortage lasts, ending only when the governing board adopts an ordinance declaring it over.

Sec. 4-10-03.C escalates further to a Water Shortage Emergency when supplies fall below what normal needs require: Class 1 essential uses become voluntary-conservation targets, and both Class 2 (socially or economically important) and Class 3 (non-essential, including irrigation) uses are banned. Sec. 4-10-03.D unwinds the phases incrementally once the Director of Public Works and the governing body agree conditions have normalized. Enforcement runs through Sec. 4-10-04: the county mails a written notice describing the violation and a correction deadline, can terminate water service if the customer does not comply (with a right to a hearing before the governing body or a designated hearing officer first), and charges a $50 reconnection fee, rising to $200 for a second violation and $300 for each one after that. Sec. 4-10-04.B adds a $25-per-day civil penalty on top of or instead of prosecution.