Martin County irrigation law limits days, times for watering lawn amid conservation effort
Lina RuizMARTIN COUNTY — Martin County's lawn-watering restrictions went into effect this month, making it the last county on the Treasure Coast to enact an irrigation law meant to conserve water year-round.
The law, which became effective June 12, follows similar measures that went on the books in Indian River and St. Lucie counties May 19 and in January 2021, respectively, records show.
The Martin law aligns with South Florida Water Management District restrictions, which dictate when property owners can water lawns. It applies only in unincorporated areas of the county areas such as Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach and Palm City.
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The restrictions are:
- Addresses ending in odd numbers, or letters N-Z, can water only on Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Addresses ending in even numbers, or letters A-M, can water only on Thursdays and Sundays
Watering also is banned between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. “as evaporation is highest during that time period,” according to county officials. Hand-watering plants and washing cars is allowed any time if“a "self-canceling nozzle” is used.
The law comes with exceptions for golf courses, athletic fields for football, soccer and baseball and livestock and rodeo arenas. Agricultural and nursery operations also are exempt.
South Florida Water Management District officials have been working with local governments in its 16-county region since January 2020 to pass these laws, said Mark Elsner, the district’s water-supply bureau chief. In all, 82 out of 155 local governments have passed laws aligned with the district’s restrictions.
“We want to educate the residents,” Elsner said. “We wanted to get everybody on the same page.”
Lina Ruiz is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for Martin County. You can reach her at lina.ruiz@tcpalm.com, on Twitter @Lina_Ruiz48 or at 321-501-3845