Alameda, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Alameda, CA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Covered project threshold
- 500 sq ft new or 2,500 sq ft renovated landscape
- Governing standard
- State MWELO, Cal. Code Regs. Title 23, Div. 2, Ch. 2.7
- Reviewing agency
- Community Development Department
- Water utility notice
- Worksheet copy sent to EBMUD after approval
- Debris diversion
- 100% of excavated soil and plant debris diverted
- Exemptions
- Historic sites, ecological restoration, public botanical collections
Summary
Alameda requires new and renovated landscapes above set size thresholds to follow the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted into the code at Section 30-58.4. Projects with 500 square feet or more of new landscape, or 2,500 square feet of rehabilitated landscape, must file a Landscape Documentation Package with Community Development before building permits are finaled.
a.The provisions of the State of California MWELO (California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Division 2, Chapter 2.7), shall be implemented by the City of Alameda.b.For all covered projects that require the approval of a building permit, plan check or design review, the applicant/developer shall:1.Submit a Landscape Document Package compliant with the most recent version of the Landscape Document Package Checklist, on file with the Community Development Department;2.Record the date of approval of the Landscape Document Package in the Certificate of Completion;3.Upon approval of the Landscape Document Package, submit a copy of the Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet to EBMUD;4.Be subject to the Standard Landscape Conditions of Approval and most recently adopted Bay-Friendly Landscaping Guidelines;5.Submit a Certificate of Completion upon approval of the Landscape Document Package and issuance of permits.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 74).
Full Breakdown
3(c). Before the Community Development Department will approve a building permit, plan check, or design review for a covered project, the applicant must submit a Landscape Documentation Package that meets the City's Landscape Document Package Checklist. Once the package is approved, the applicant records the approval date on the Certificate of Completion and sends a copy of the Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the regional water wholesaler for Alameda. 4(f). 4(c): registered historic sites, ecological restoration projects that need no permanent irrigation system, and existing plant collections at public botanical gardens or arboretums open to the public. Smaller landscape plans under 2,500 square feet may instead follow the prescriptive Appendix D measures in the Checklist rather than the full documentation package.
Violations & Fines
Community Development will not approve the building permit, plan check, design review, or final Certificate of Completion for a covered project until the required Landscape Documentation Package and Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet are on file, so noncompliant landscaping halts the permit at the final inspection stage. The City Engineer can require corrective planting or documentation before signing off on the completion certificate tied to the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alameda restrict how much I can water my lawn?
What size project needs a landscape documentation package?
Is my project exempt from the water-efficient landscape rules?
Who reviews my Landscape Documentation Package?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda
How Alameda compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Alameda to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle water restrictions.