Lawn Care
Lake County Watering Restrictions: A Lawn Schedule That Stays Green
Current Lake County and SJRWMD watering restrictions — and the exact sprinkler schedule that keeps your lawn green within the rules.
May 29, 2026 · 5 min read
Lake County falls under the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) watering rules. Stick to them and your lawn still thrives — break them and you risk fines, but more importantly, your lawn gets worse, not better.
The current schedule
Daylight Saving Time (March–November) — 2 days per week
- Odd-numbered addresses: Wednesday & Saturday
- Even-numbered addresses: Thursday & Sunday
- Non-residential: Tuesday & Friday
- No watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time (November–March) — 1 day per week
- Same address days as above, but only one of the two.
- Same 10–4 blackout window.
Always allowed
- Hand-watering with a shutoff nozzle — anytime.
- Watering new sod for 60 days after install (keep your install receipt).
- Reclaimed water — check your specific city for local rules.
The schedule that actually keeps grass green
Within the rules, the goal is deep, infrequent watering — roots grow toward water, so train them to grow deep.
- Run time: 45–60 minutes per zone for rotors, 15–20 minutes for spray heads.
- Time of day: Start before sunrise (4–6 a.m.). Finishes before evaporation peaks and grass dries quickly = no fungus.
- Skip a watering day if it rained ½" or more — a $30 rain sensor pays for itself in a season.
Most common mistake
Splitting your two allowed days into short runs. Twenty minutes twice a week trains shallow roots, then the lawn fries the first week you're out of town. Long runs = deep roots = resilient lawn.
Need your controller tuned?
We program controllers to current SJRWMD rules and your specific zone needs as part of every irrigation visit. See irrigation services.