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Boone County, KY Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Water restrictions in Boone County, KY, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.

Key Facts

Enforcing agency
County Judge/Executive & BCWD manager
Level 1 odd addresses
Tue, Thu, Sat watering only
Level 1 even addresses
Wed, Fri, Sun watering only
Level 4 max penalty
$250 fine plus 90 days jail
Applies to
unincorporated Boone County BCWD customers

Summary

Boone County's water utility can trigger mandatory odd-even outdoor watering days when supply runs short. Under County Code § 52.10, the Judge/Executive declares Level 1 through Level 4 water conservation for Boone County Water District customers in the unincorporated county, escalating from voluntary limits to a total ban on all outside water use countywide.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Boone County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(B) Level 1. Whenever the Chief Executive Officer or Administrator of the Boone County Water District (BCWD), the public purveyor of potable water in the county, finds that a potential shortage of the supply of treated water exists or will exist, and upon written certification thereof to the Judge/Executive, the Judge/Executive may declare Level 1 Conservation. The Judge/Executive shall call upon all customers of the BCWD in the county to voluntarily limit all non-essential watering to designated days. The designated days for customers living in residences with odd address numbers are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The designated days for customers living in residences with even address numbers are Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Those customers of the BCWD that are not readily defined by physical addresses are requested to voluntarily limit non-essential watering by 50%.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2025-20, passed 6-17-25; and State legislation current through KRS 2025).

Full Breakdown

10 lets the Boone County Water District manager certify a supply shortage to the County Judge/Executive, who then declares one of four conservation levels for BCWD customers in unincorporated Boone County; the ordinance does not reach customers inside Florence, Union or Walton, which run their own water arrangements. Level 1 is voluntary: odd-numbered addresses are asked to limit non-essential outdoor watering to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, even-numbered addresses to Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and customers without a defined address are asked to cut non-essential use by half.

Non-essential watering covers lawns, trees, flowers, gardens, filling pools and fountains, washing vehicles or buildings, and hosing down driveways, sidewalks or parking lots. Level 2 makes the Level 1 schedule mandatory rather than voluntary. Level 3 adds a total ban on non-essential watering every day of the week, not just the assigned days. 10(F) to protect public health and safety. 10(G). 03 authorize a full daytime or round-the-clock outdoor-water ban during a declared county-wide alert or emergency.

Violations & Fines

Section 52.99 penalizes a water ban/alert or emergency violation with a warning for a first offense, then a $200 fine for the second violation and every violation after that. Separately, failing to comply with a mandatory § 52.10 conservation requirement carries a fine up to $250, and violating Level 4 Conservation specifically can bring a fine up to $250 plus as much as 90 days in jail. Each day of continued violation counts as a new, separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Boone County's watering-day rule apply inside Florence or Union?
No. Boone County Code § 52.10 governs Boone County Water District customers in the unincorporated county only, and the schedule is tied to the water utility's service area rather than city limits. Florence, Union and Walton administer their own water systems and enforce their own conservation rules, so this specific odd-even watering ordinance does not reach addresses inside those cities.
What counts as non-essential watering under Level 1 conservation?
Section 52.10(B) lists watering lawns, trees, flowers and gardens; filling or topping off pools, fountains, reflecting pools or artificial waterfalls; hosing driveways, sidewalks, parking lots or tennis courts; washing vehicles or building exteriors; and adding water to scenic or recreational ponds beyond the minimum needed to support wildlife during the shortage.
Who declares a Boone County water conservation level and how does it end?
The BCWD manager certifies a shortage in writing to the County Judge/Executive, who then publicly declares the applicable level. Under § 52.10(G), that declaration stays in force until the manager finds conditions have improved enough to lift it, and the Judge/Executive formally downgrades or removes the conservation level by signed order.
What happens if I keep watering my lawn during a Level 4 declaration?
Level 4 makes every Level 3 restriction mandatory countywide, meaning non-essential outdoor watering is banned on all days. Under § 52.99(B), violating Level 4 Conservation can bring a fine of up to $250 and up to 90 days in jail, and each additional day the violation continues is treated as a separate offense.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Boone County

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSignificant RestrictionsWeed OrdinancesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Snow Removal Parking RulesSome Restrictions

All Boone County rules

How Boone County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Boone County to another location·View the Kentucky landscaping rules overview

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