Troup County, GA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Troup County, GA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Allowed watering hours
- 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily
- Enforcing agency
- Community Development Department
- Citation forum
- Magistrate Court
- New plantings exemption
- 30 days after installation
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 2025-03, June 3, 2025
- Governing section
- UDO § 3.12
Summary
In unincorporated Troup County, outdoor watering of lawns, gardens and other landscape plantings is limited to the hours between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. under UDO § 3.12. The Community Development Department enforces the restriction, and violators face citation in magistrate court, though numerous exemptions cover drip irrigation, hand watering and new plantings.
(1)Restriction on outdoor watering of landscape. Outdoor watering for purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants in the unincorporated area may occur only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.; provided, however, that this limitation shall not create any limitation upon the following outdoor water uses: ... (2)Enforcement.(a)No person shall use or allow the use of water in violation of the restrictions on outdoor water use contained in [this] section.(b)The Community Development Department shall be the enforcement authority for this article. The County manager may also authorize other departments as may be deemed necessary to support enforcement.(c)Criminal and alternative penalties. Any violation of this section may also be enforced by a citation or accusation returnable to the magistrate court or by any other legal means as set forth in this Code.
Full Breakdown
Under Section 3.12 of the Troup County Unified Development Ordinance, adopted by Ordinance No. 2025-03 on June 3, 2025, outdoor watering of landscape material such as ground cover, trees, shrubs and other plants in unincorporated Troup County can occur only between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. The restriction targets ordinary irrigation of lawns and gardens during the heat of the day, but the ordinance carves out thirteen specific exemptions so it does not reach agriculture or water-conserving practices. Exempt uses include commercial crop and livestock watering, capture and reuse of stormwater or cooling-system condensate, gray water reuse under O.C.G.A. § 31-3-5.2, reclaimed wastewater from a DNR-permitted provider, personal food gardens, newly installed plant or turf watering for 30 days after installation, drip irrigation or soaker hoses, hand watering with an automatic cutoff or handheld container, water drawn from a private well or on-site surface water, horticultural crops held for sale, athletic fields and golf courses, irrigation system calibration, and hydro seeding.
The Community Development Department is the designated enforcement authority for the article, and the County Manager may authorize other departments to assist during dry spells, giving inspectors flexibility to pull in code enforcement or public works staff.
Violations & Fines
No person may use or allow the use of water in violation of the outdoor watering hours. Violations are enforced through citation or accusation in Magistrate Court, or by any other legal means set out elsewhere in the County Code, giving the County both a criminal and a civil enforcement path against repeat offenders who water outside the 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn in the middle of the day in unincorporated Troup County?
Does the watering restriction apply to my vegetable garden or farm?
What happens if I get caught watering outside the allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Troup County
How Troup County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Troup County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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