No. HB 611
Filed under Environment & Water.
Landscape Irrigation; Prohibits certain actions regarding landscape irrigation systems unless such actions are taken by licensed irrigation contractors or property owners; authorizes local governments or water management districts to adopt certain requirements for property owners who install such systems; provides requirements for permits, plans, equipment & capacity, maintenance, & water schedules relating to such systems; provides fines & penalties; prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing certain laws, rules, or regulations; authorizes DEP to adopt rules; revises membership of Construction Industry Licensing Board.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDAnyone other than the property owner must hold a new "irrigation contractor" license to install, alter, repair, service, or inspect a landscape irrigation system. Only a licensed irrigation contractor may connect a system to the water supply.
Every property with irrigation is limited to two fixed days a week (one day under standard time) and barred from watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a 0.75-inch daily cap per zone.
Local governments and water management districts may not adopt or enforce any law, rule, or regulation that conflicts with this act, making the new watering schedule the statewide standard.
A first violation of the watering-schedule or system-standards rules draws only a written warning; a second draws a $50 fine; every later violation can draw up to $500, collected and used by local governments for enforcement and conservation.
AIOnly a licensed irrigation contractor or the property owner personally may install, maintain, alter, repair, service, or inspect a landscape irrigation system, and only a licensed irrigation contractor may connect one to a water supply.
AICreates a new contractor license category covering the sale, design, installation, maintenance, repair, and connection of irrigation systems to a water supply, including wells in unincorporated areas.
AISets mandatory statewide watering days keyed to address parity and time of year, bars watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and caps each zone at 0.75 inches and one hour on a watering day.
AIBars any local government or water management district from adopting or enforcing a law, rule, or regulation that conflicts with the new landscape irrigation act, making its schedule and standards the statewide floor and ceiling.
AINew or substantially rebuilt landscape irrigation systems may not include irrigation risers, and distribution equipment such as sprinklers, pumps, and valves must sit at least 4 inches from any impervious surface.
AIHigh-volume irrigation may cover no more than 60 percent of the area being irrigated, pushing the rest of a new landscape toward low-volume or micro-irrigation.
AIStarting July 1, 2027, no one may sell, lease, or install a new spray sprinkler body for compensation unless it is labeled as meeting federal WaterSense water-efficiency and performance criteria.
AIA first violation of the watering-schedule or equipment-standard rules draws only a written warning; a second draws a $50 fine; every violation after that can draw up to $500.