Water Use Rules in El Cajon, CA (2026)
3 verified water use rules for El Cajon, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Turf Replacement Rebates
Non-residential landscape projects in El Cajon can't put turf grass on more than 25 percent of the total landscaped area, under Municipal Code Section 17.195.150(E). Sports fields, parks, golf courses, and cemeteries are exempt, and low-volume or subsurface irrigation is mandatory on narrow strips and steep slopes.
El Cajon Turf Area Limits for Landscaping
Some RestrictionsEl Cajon Municipal Code § 17.195.150(E)
Non-residential landscape projects subject to the requirements of this title shall limit turf areas to no more than 25 percent of the total landscaped area. This provision shall not apply to sports fields, parks, golf courses, and cemeteries.
Recycled Water Rules
If recycled water runs in the street in front of a covered property, El Cajon requires the project to use it for irrigation, not potable water, under Municipal Code Section 17.195.190. Recycled-water users must install a purple-piped dual distribution system and get credit toward their water budget through a 1.0 evapotranspiration adjustment factor.
El Cajon Recycled Water Use Requirement
Some RestrictionsEl Cajon Municipal Code § 17.195.190
A. A person who obtains a permit for a project that is subject to this chapter shall use recycled water for irrigation if recycled water is available in the street in front of their property from the water purveyor who supplies water to the property. B. A person using recycled water shall install a dual distribution system for water received from a public water purveyor. Pipes carrying recycled...
Leak Reporting Duty
El Cajon treats water that escapes, flows or seeps from a property connected to the public water system as proof of illegal water waste under Municipal Code Section 13.04.020. The person in possession or control of the leaking property is presumed responsible for the violation, which the city can abate as a public nuisance.
El Cajon Water Waste and Leak Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Cajon, CA, Municipal Code Secs. 13.04.010, 13.04.020
No person shall waste or cause or permit to be wasted, any water furnished, supplied or delivered by any agency distributing for public benefit any water dedicated to or provided for public use within the city. ... It shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of Section 13.04.010 for any person to permit any water supplied from a public source to the premises owned, occupied or controlled by...
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