Chino Hills, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Chino Hills, 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
- Trigger
- City Council declares one of 4 stages
- Stage II schedule
- 3 days/week by address parity
- Stage II hours
- 12:01am-9am or 6pm-midnight
- Time cap
- 15 min/station (30 min drip)
- Stage IV
- Zero outdoor watering allowed
- Enforcement
- Code Enforcement + Water Use Efficiency Coordinator
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or meter shutoff
Summary
Chino Hills irrigation rules run on a City Council-declared four-stage water conservation ordinance, CHMC Chapter 13.08. Once a Moderate (Stage II) alert is in effect, residential customers may water only three days a week by street-address parity, and only overnight or early morning.
13.08.070.A - All residential customers shall be limited in the outdoor use of water for sprinkling, watering, or irrigating any shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, groundcovers, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers, or any other landscaped or vegetated areas to a three days per week schedule based on street address. Designated days of irrigation: Residential addresses ending in an even number may use water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and residential addresses ending in an odd number may use water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. All such irrigation may only occur between 12:01 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or between 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. and shall not exceed fifteen (15) minutes per watering-station, except for drip or micro-spray irrigation systems which shall not exceed 30 minutes per station. No irrigation shall occur between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
Chino Hills does not run a year-round fixed watering calendar; instead the City Council declares one of four conservation stages under CHMC Chapter 13.08 when supply is threatened, and the applicable restrictions escalate from there. During a Stage II 'moderate water conservation alert' (triggered when supply is expected to drop up to ten percent), residential customers may irrigate lawns, shrubs, gardens and other landscaped areas only three days a week: even-numbered addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, odd-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and only between 12:01 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. and midnight.
Each station is capped at fifteen minutes, or thirty minutes for drip or micro-spray systems, and no irrigation may run between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Non-residential customers face a similar three-day cap on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If the City escalates to Stage III (High Alert, 10-25 percent shortfall), the residential schedule tightens to two days a week; Stage IV (Severe Alert) bans all outdoor watering, including hand-held hoses. The City Manager must grant an exception for health, safety or medical needs, and the Public Works Commission can grant a financial-hardship exemption under § 13.08.040. Compliance is enforced by City Code Enforcement Officers and the City's Water Use Efficiency Coordinator under § 13.08.110.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Chapter 13.08 restriction is an infraction under § 13.08.100, punished per § 1.36.020: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third. The City Attorney or a Deputy District Attorney may instead charge repeat violations as misdemeanors under California Water Code § 377. Beyond fines, the City Manager may install a flow-restricting device, lock or remove the water meter, or shut off service entirely, with the customer liable for all associated costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days can I water my lawn in Chino Hills right now?
Can drip irrigation run longer than sprinklers?
Can the City shut off my water for breaking the watering schedule?
Is there any relief if I can't afford to comply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle water restrictions.