Whitfield County, GA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Whitfield 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
- Governing section
- Whitfield County Code § 7.5-81
- Watering hours allowed
- 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Effective date
- January 1, 2011
- Enforcement
- Dalton-Whitfield Building Inspections and Planning
- Exemptions
- 13 listed uses, e.g. drip irrigation
- Court
- Whitfield County Magistrate Court
Summary
Outdoor watering of lawns, gardens and landscaping in unincorporated Whitfield County is restricted to the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. under Sec. 7.5-81, banning daytime sprinkler use, with more than a dozen listed exceptions including drip irrigation, hand watering and new plantings.
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:
Full Breakdown
Sec. year-round. 2, use of reclaimed wastewater from a Georgia EPD-permitted system, personal food gardens, watering new or replanted turf for 30 days after installation, drip irrigation or soaker hoses, hand watering with an automatic-cutoff hose or handheld container, private wells or on-site surface water, horticultural crops held for sale, athletic fields and golf courses, irrigation-system installation, maintenance or calibration, and hydroseeding. Sec. 5-82 puts enforcement in the hands of the Dalton-Whitfield Building Inspections and Enforcement office and the Dalton-Whitfield Planning Office, with the county administrator able to authorize other departments as needed. The ordinance, adopted November 8, 2010, became effective January 1, 2011 per Sec. 5-85, and Sec. 5-83 repeals any conflicting prior ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 7.5-82(a) makes it unlawful to use or allow water use in violation of the outdoor-watering-hours restriction. Subsection (c) allows enforcement by a citation or accusation returnable to the Whitfield County Magistrate Court or by any other legal means set forth in the county code, so violators can face the county's standard criminal penalties in addition to any administrative citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can I water my lawn in unincorporated Whitfield County?
Is hand watering with a hose exempt from the time restriction?
Who enforces the outdoor watering hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whitfield County
How Whitfield County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Whitfield County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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