Water Use Rules in Porterville, CA (2026)
3 verified water use rules for Porterville, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Turf Replacement Rebates
Porterville caps how much lawn a property can keep under its water efficient landscape ordinance: residential turf cannot exceed 25 percent of the landscape area, nonresidential lots get none at all, and natural turf is banned outright in commercial and industrial zones under Municipal Code Sec. 25-32A.8 and Sec. 25-32A.23.
Porterville Turf Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsPorterville Municipal Code §§ 25-32A.8, 25-32A.23
h. Natural turf is prohibited in commercial and industrial zone districts. However, when the city council finds that a logical and substantiated need exists for natural turf, e.g., for uses such as daycare centers or commercial recreation facilities, a conditional use permit may be approved with conditions specifying the reason natural grass is deemed necessary by the applicant, the allowed are...
Recycled Water Rules
Porterville requires new and renovated landscape irrigation systems to be built for recycled water use where available, and Municipal Code Sec. 25-32A.16 treats any landscape irrigated with recycled water as a special landscape area with its own water budget rules.
Porterville Recycled Water Landscape Rule
Some RestrictionsPorterville Municipal Code § 25-32A.16
A. The installation of recycled water irrigation systems shall allow for the current and future use of recycled water. B. All recycled water irrigation systems shall be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and state laws. C. Landscapes using recycled water are considered special landscape areas. The ET adjustment factor for new and existing (nonrehabilitated) special la...
Leak Reporting Duty
In the City of Porterville, the property owner or water customer, not the city, is responsible for finding and fixing leaks on their own service line. Municipal Code Sec. 25-13.2 requires every consumer to keep all service pipes, fixtures and stopcocks free from leakage and in safe condition, at the consumer's own expense.
Porterville Water Leak Repair Duty
Some RestrictionsPorterville Municipal Code §§ 25-13.1, 25-13.2
The city shall not maintain or repair any water pipe from the meter or the premises served, and the city shall in no case be liable for damages occasioned by water running free from open or faulty fixtures or from broken or damaged pipes. When city personnel are called by the consumer for turnon and/or turnoff service, the consumer shall pay the city the actual cost of time spent for such servi...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Porterville city rules.
Water Use Rules in Tulare County →