Compton, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Compton, 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
- Governing law
- Compton Municipal Code § 23-1.32(e)(2)(f)
- Watering days
- Even addresses water even dates, odd addresses odd dates
- Watering hours
- No watering 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Exempt users
- Nurseries and golf courses exempt from day limit
- 31st of month
- No watering unless reclaimed water is used
- Escalating cap
- Phase III caps use at 90% of 1990 baseline
- Enforcing agency
- Compton Municipal Water Department
Summary
Compton limits landscape irrigation to specific calendar days and hours once the City Council declares a water shortage: even-numbered addresses water on even dates, odd addresses on odd dates, and no watering happens between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Municipal Code § 23-1.32(e)(2)(f), part of the mandatory conservation ordinance, sets the baseline Phase I schedule that later shortage phases build on.
No lawn, landscape, or other turf area shall be watered more often than every other day. Specifically, all customers with an even address number shall water on even calendar dates of the month, and all customers with an odd address number shall water on odd calendar dates of the month. On the 31st of the month, there shall be no watering, unless reclaimed water is used. No watering shall be done between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; except that the provision shall not apply to commercial nurseries, golf courses and other water-dependent industries.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
32(e)(1) whenever the City Manager and the Water Department's General Manager expect supplies to fall short by 5%. ; commercial nurseries, golf courses and other water-dependent industries are carved out of the every-other-day limit, though not the daytime hours ban. On the 31st of any month, no watering is allowed at all unless the irrigation runs on reclaimed water. , and Phase IV holds every-third-day watering for residential customers while dropping water-dependent industries to every fourth day. Subsection (g)(3) also caps total household use at 90% of the property's 1990 billing-period baseline during Phase III, falling further in later phases, with an exemption for single-family customers already using less than the threshold set for each phase.
Sprinkler runoff onto streets or sidewalks from incorrectly directed or overwatering irrigation is separately prohibited under Subsection (e)(2)(g), regardless of which phase is in effect. when it adopted Ordinance 1851.
Violations & Fines
A first watering-day violation draws a written warning from the Water Department. A second violation during any shortage phase carries a $35 surcharge (Phase I-IV) or $50 (Phase V-VI) added to the water bill, and a third or later violation results in a flow-restricting device installed on the meter, with the customer billed for installation, removal and restored service before normal flow resumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days can I water my lawn in Compton?
Are golf courses and nurseries exempt from the watering schedule?
What happens if my sprinklers run off onto the sidewalk?
Can I be penalized for using too much water even if I follow the watering schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
How Compton compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Compton to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle water restrictions.