Roswell Plumbing Blog
Georgia's 4 PM to 10 AM Watering Rule and Irrigation Leaks in Roswell
Why Roswell waters between 4 PM and 10 AM, where irrigation systems leak unseen, how to test with the meter, and the backflow test Fulton requires.
The Rule
Why Roswell Waters Between 4 PM and 10 AM
Georgia passed the Water Stewardship Act in 2010 after the severe droughts of the late 2000s. One of its best-known provisions limits outdoor watering for landscapes to the hours between 4 PM and 10 AM, when less water is lost to evaporation. The Roswell Water Utility and Fulton County both point customers to that rule.
The watering window also has a practical side effect. Irrigation systems run in the early morning or evening, when nobody is watching the yard. A broken head or a stuck zone valve can waste water for weeks before anyone notices, and the first sign is often a surprising bill.
Common Leaks
Where Irrigation Systems Leak
The usual suspects, from easiest to hardest to spot.
| Leak | Signs | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Broken or missing sprinkler head | Geyser or pooling while a zone runs | Replace the head |
| Cracked lateral pipe | Soggy patch in one zone | Dig and repair the section |
| Zone valve weeping | One area always wet, even between cycles | Rebuild or replace the valve |
| Mainline leak | Meter moves with zones off but irrigation supply on | Locate and repair the mainline |
| Backflow assembly leak | Water around the assembly or relief port | Repair and retest |
What to Do Before Calling About a High Bill
A simple sequence isolates irrigation from the house.
- Turn everything off. House fixtures and the irrigation controller.
- Watch the meter. If the leak indicator moves, something is leaking.
- Close the irrigation supply valve. If the movement stops, the leak is in the irrigation system.
- Run each zone. Walk the yard while each zone runs and look for geysers and pooling.
- Check the backflow assembly. Drips or water around it need a repair and retest.
If the meter still moves with irrigation shut off, the leak is in the house or its service line.
Backflow Testing and the Irrigation Connection
Every in-ground irrigation system connected to public water needs protection against backflow, because the sprinkler lines sit in soil treated with fertilizer and pesticides. Fulton County requires testable backflow prevention devices to be tested every year by a certified tester, with results submitted through its SwiftComply system. The backflow testing page explains the device types and what happens if one fails.
Freeze season adds another risk. Above-ground backflow assemblies can split in a hard freeze if the irrigation system was not drained. A split assembly after a cold snap is a spring repair many homeowners discover only when they turn the system back on.
When It Is Not the Sprinklers
When the Leak Is Somewhere Else
If the irrigation checks out, the next suspects are toilets, the water heater relief valve and the buried service line between the meter and the house. Leak detection uses meter tests, acoustic equipment and thermal imaging to narrow it down without digging up the yard at random.
Large lawns and long irrigation runs are common in Milton, which also gets its water from Fulton County, so the same watering hours and backflow rules apply there.
A final tip: set your controller to water in the early morning within the allowed window. Evening watering is allowed too, but lawns that stay wet overnight are more prone to disease.
Walkthrough
A Zone-by-Zone Inspection You Can Do Yourself
Once a month during the growing season, run each irrigation zone manually and walk it. Look for heads that geyser, mist excessively, tilt or spray pavement instead of lawn. Listen at the valve box for hissing when the zone is off. Look for spots that stay soft or green between cycles, which often point to a cracked lateral pipe or a valve that does not fully close.
Take a meter reading before and after running a zone for a set time. Comparing that figure month to month shows when something changes. A zone that suddenly uses much more water than it used to has a problem, even if you cannot see it yet.
Controllers
Schedules, Rain Sensors and Smart Controllers
Many irrigation leaks go unnoticed because the system runs automatically at 5 AM. A rain sensor or a smart controller that adjusts for weather cuts wasted watering during wet weeks, and some smart controllers can alert you to unusual flow if they are paired with a flow sensor.
Keep watering inside the 4 PM to 10 AM window, set the schedule by season rather than leaving summer settings on all year, and turn the system off and drain it before a hard freeze to protect the backflow assembly and above-ground piping.
Billing
A Separate Irrigation Meter for Fulton County Customers
Fulton County notes that most irrigation water soaks into the ground rather than returning to the sewer, and it allows customers to install a secondary, dedicated irrigation meter. For a large Roswell lawn, that can matter, because water used outdoors does not then carry the sewer portion of the bill that household water does.
A dedicated meter also makes leaks easier to spot. If the irrigation meter moves while every zone is off, the leak is on the irrigation side, not in the house. Any irrigation system tied to the public supply needs a working backflow assembly, which Fulton County requires to be tested every year, as covered on our backflow testing page. The requirement is not only local: the IPC, which Georgia's plumbing code is based on, calls for backflow protection on lawn irrigation connections to the drinking water supply.
Questions
Watering and Irrigation Questions
Under the Georgia Water Stewardship Act, outdoor watering of landscapes is allowed between 4 PM and 10 AM. The law includes exceptions, and drought declarations can add restrictions, so check the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and your water provider for current rules.
Do a meter test with the house off and the irrigation off, then again with only the irrigation supply open but no zone running. Movement in the second test points to a leak in the irrigation mainline or a zone valve that does not close fully.
Fulton County requires testable backflow prevention devices to be tested annually by a certified tester. Most in-ground irrigation systems have one. Your provider will send a notice when it is due.
Sources for This Page
Watering hours and background come from the Georgia Water Stewardship Act as summarized by UGA Cooperative Extension and the City of Roswell's water utility pages. Backflow testing requirements come from Fulton County's backflow prevention program.
Written by the Roswell 24/7 Plumbing team and checked against the sources above. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.
Water Bill Jumped This Summer?
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