Water Use Rules in Moreno Valley, CA

If you live in Moreno Valley or are thinking about moving there, water use rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Moreno Valley has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of water use rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Turf Replacement Rebates

Moreno Valley's landscape code caps living turf at under 25% of a project's landscaped area and restricts it to gathering spaces, parks and recreational facilities, banning turf used solely for decoration. In its place, the code expressly allows 'high quality artificial turf' as a landscape element. Municipal Code § 9.17.030(C) sets both the natural-turf cap and the artificial-turf allowance.

Key details: Natural turf cap: Under 25% of landscaped area. Artificial turf: Expressly allowed, no stated size cap. Governing section: § 9.17.030(C)(2), (C)(5). Turf variety rule: Drought-tolerant, warm-season only. Mow strip: Required except single-family homes.

Turf-area compliance is checked at landscape plan submittal and approval, not through after-the-fact code enforcement sweeps of existing lawns. A landscape plan that exceeds the 25% natural-turf cap or uses turf solely for decoration can be rejected or conditioned before permit issuance; installing noncompliant turf under an approved plan is a municipal code violation, chargeable as an infraction ($100 to $500 escalating fines) or misdemeanor (up to $1,000 and six months) under §§ 1.01.200 and 1.01.230.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Moreno Valley gives residents more flexibility on turf replacement rebates.

Leak Reporting Duty

Moreno Valley's landscape water efficiency ordinance requires property owners and occupants to repair faucets, toilets, pipes and any other source of a water leak under Section 9.17.150(B). The city delegates day-to-day enforcement of the water waste rules to the local water purveyor serving the property, chiefly Eastern Municipal Water District.

Key details: Governing section: MVMC § 9.17.150(B). Duty: Repair leaking faucets, toilets, pipes. Enforcement: Delegated to local water purveyor. Irrigation hours: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. only. Run-off: Prohibited onto streets or gutters.

Failure to repair a known leak or comply with the irrigation duties above is enforced primarily through the local water purveyor's escalating water-waste penalty schedule authorized by Section 9.17.160(E), which can include tiered billing surcharges and service restrictions. The city can also pursue its own nuisance and civil citation remedies for run-off that reaches a public street, gutter or storm drain.

The Bottom Line

Moreno Valley's water use rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Moreno Valley is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Moreno Valley can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.