Macon-Bibb County, GA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code Sec. 16-39(a)(4)
- Standard irrigation hours
- 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily
- Reclaimed water
- Fully exempt from hourly restriction
- Other exemptions
- 13 total, incl. gray water, drip irrigation
- Penalty for violation
- General penalty, Code Sec. 1-6
Summary
Macon-Bibb County limits outdoor landscape irrigation to 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. under County Code Sec. 16-39, but exempts water use entirely from that schedule when it comes from a permitted reclaimed wastewater system, letting reclaimed-water users irrigate at any hour.
(a)Restrictions; exemptions. Persons may irrigate outdoors daily for purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., provided, however, that this section shall not create any limitation upon the following outdoor water uses: (4)Use of reclaimed waste water by a designated user from a system permitted by the environmental protection division of the department to provide reclaimed wastewater;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Comprehensive Land Development Resolution: Supplement 4 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
A. 2, drip irrigation, hand watering with an automatic shutoff nozzle, and irrigation from a private well or surface water source on the same property. schedule that governs ordinary potable-water irrigation. Subsection (b) makes using water "in violation of the restrictions on outdoor water use contained in this section" unlawful, and subsection (c) applies "the general penalty section of this Code" to any violation, meaning the exemption operates as a full defense rather than a separate permit process spelled out in this section.
Violations & Fines
A property owner using ordinary tap water to irrigate outside the 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. window violates Section 16-39(b) and faces the Code's general penalty under Section 1-6 in Municipal Court; a user drawing from a permitted reclaimed wastewater system, by contrast, has a complete exemption under subsection (a)(4) and cannot be cited for watering at any hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn with recycled water anytime in Macon-Bibb County?
What are the normal outdoor watering hours in Macon-Bibb County?
Do I need a permit to use reclaimed water for irrigation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon-Bibb County
Compare Macon-Bibb County to another location·View the Georgia water use rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.