Water Conservation Regulations

In order to conserve the resources of the Town of Hilton Head ISland's source of potable water, the Town Council has adopted ordinances to regulate the use of water. These regulations apply to all property within the Town limits.

Limitations on Exterior Landscape Irrigation

Irrigation of exterior landscaping shall only be allowed according to the following schedule. These restrictions apply regardless of the source of water.

Tuesday and Satruday
Detached, single-family residential with even-numbered addresses. This includes street addresses, box numbers, or rural route numbers ending with the numbers 0,2,4,6 or 8, or letters A through M (inclusive).

Wednesday and Sunday
Detached single-family residential with odd-numbered addresses. This includes street addresses, box numbers, or rural route numbers ending with the numbers 1,3,5,7 or 9 or letters N through Z (inclusive).

Monday and Thursday
Commercial/Office/Institutional Hotels or Motels; common areas of condominium or multi-family dwelling projects, horizonal property regimes; property owner's associatins or time-share owner's associations; and locations having no street address, box number, or rural route number.

The law allows hand sprinkling of exterior landscaped areas, such as flower beds, on any day of the week, but hand sprinkling of lawn or turf areas must follow the above water schedule.

Upon application to the appropriate Public Service District or private utility provider, a one-time exemption may be allowed for a 90 day period in which to water newly installed landscaping materials.

Watering to such an extent as to permit ponding or runoff is prohibited.

Landscape Irrigation Systems

The law requires that the installation or maintenance of a landscape irrigation system (which is defined as a system using a potable water source) be undertaken by a landscape contractor certified by the Town of Hilton Head Island. Rain sensors must be installed on new irrigation systems and existing systems.

Landscape Contractors

Anyone designing, installing or maintaining an irrigation system, shall be certified by the Town of Hilton Head Island. Proof of certification shall be required to renew the Business License each year. For information on obtaining the required certification, please contact the Town's Building & Fire Codes Division at (843)341-4757.

Any person violating the Town's water conservation laws shall be subject to a daily pentaly of up to thiry (30) days in jail or a maximum fine of $500.00 (plus court costs), or both.