Corona, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Corona, 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
- Baseline hours
- 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily
- Reclaimed water
- Exempt from the hours restriction
- Stage 2 odd addresses
- Sat, Mon, Wed only
- Stage 2 even addresses
- Sun, Tue, Thu only
- Stage 2 daily cap
- 20 minutes of irrigation per day
- Enforcing agency
- Riverside Public Utilities General Manager
- Maximum penalty
- 30 days jail or $1,000 fine
Summary
Corona restricts lawn and landscape irrigation to the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. every day under the city's baseline Water Conservation Stage 1, which is in effect at all times. Reclaimed water is exempt from the time limit. Once the General Manager declares Stage 2 or higher, watering also narrows to three assigned days a week by street address.
Water Conservation Stage 1 is also referred to as a "Normal Water Supply" and applies during periods when the City is able to meet all of the water demands of its customers. Water Conservation Stage 1 is in effect at all times unless the General Manager otherwise declares that another water conservation stage is in effect pursuant to this Chapter 13.26. ... In addition, lawns and/or ground cover may be watered and landscaping may be irrigated for private properties, parks, and the public right-of-ways, only between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., if the watering and irrigation is performed with potable water. This restriction shall not apply to watering and irrigation performed with reclaimed water.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-56: Supplement contains: Local legislation passed through Ord. 3423, passed 12-3-2025).
Full Breakdown
26, Water Conservation, sets up five escalating conservation stages that the Riverside Public Utilities General Manager can trigger based on supply conditions. when potable water is used; irrigation done with reclaimed water is not subject to that window. window. Government agencies may instead choose any three days of the week for their own irrigation. Stage 2 also requires all open hoses to carry automatic shut-off nozzles, all pools, spas, ponds and fountains to run recirculating pumps, and all irrigation timers to be reprogrammed to match the schedule.
Later stages (3 through 5) keep every prior stage's rules in force and add deeper cutbacks, up to a total outdoor watering ban in Stage 5 except for reclaimed water use.
Violations & Fines
Violating any watering-day or hours restriction is a misdemeanor under § 13.26.110, punishable by up to 30 days in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, per California Water Code § 377. Before that, § 13.26.120 requires the city to send a written notice or enforcement officer after a first violation; a second or later violation can trigger installation of a flow-restricting device on the service line or outright discontinuance of water service, plus a special meter reading to confirm continued misuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn in Corona at any time of day?
What days can I water once Stage 2 is declared?
Does the schedule apply if I irrigate with reclaimed water?
What happens if I get caught watering outside the allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corona
How Corona compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Corona to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle water restrictions.