Cupertino, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Cupertino, 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 chapter
- Municipal Code Chapter 15.32, Water Conservation
- Hose requirement
- Shut-off nozzle required on any outdoor washing hose
- Runoff ban
- No flooding or runoff onto sidewalks, gutters, roadways
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor or administrative citation under Chapter 1.10
- Emergency authority
- Public Works Director may suspend service for water waste
Summary
Cupertino bans wasting potable water on landscaping and outdoor uses, including runoff onto sidewalks or non-irrigated areas, and requires a shut-off nozzle on any hose used outdoors. Defective sprinkler and irrigation systems must be fixed promptly. The Council can adopt further mandatory water-use regulations during drought, and violators face misdemeanor or administrative citation.
To prevent water waste, the unreasonable use of water, and to promote water conservation, each of the following actions are prohibited while using potable water: No person shall waste water, including, but not limited to flooding or creating runoff on sidewalks or gutters, adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures. No person shall use a hose that dispenses potable water to wash vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, boats, aircraft, and trailers, whether motorized or not, unless the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use. No person shall waste water by failing to repair defective plumbing, sprinkler, watering or irrigation systems. ... Any person who violates any provision of this Chapter or any regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided in Chapter 1.12 of this code.
Full Breakdown
32 of the Cupertino Municipal Code, Water Conservation, prohibits specific irrigation practices citywide. 030 bars flooding or creating runoff onto sidewalks, gutters, adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures while using potable water. Anyone hosing down a vehicle outdoors, including cars, trucks, buses, boats, aircraft or trailers, must use a hose fitted with a shut-off nozzle that stops water flow the moment it is released. Homeowners and landscapers must repair defective plumbing, sprinkler, watering or irrigation systems rather than let them leak or run needlessly, and potable water cannot be used for single-pass cooling on new building construction.
040 lets the City Council adopt binding Regulations Restricting Water Use whenever drought, supply conditions or other public purposes call for tighter limits, including specific watering days or hours; those regulations take effect as soon as practicable and carry the force of law until the Council repeals or amends them. 060 exempts water use necessary for public health or safety, essential police, fire or emergency services, and conditions imposed by a state or federal permit. 070 when broken or defective plumbing, sprinkler or irrigation systems are wasting water in considerable quantity, with notice given to the customer as soon as practical.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 15.32 or a Council-adopted water use regulation is a misdemeanor punishable under the general penalty scheme in Chapter 1.12. The City may instead pursue administrative citations and fines under Chapter 1.10 rather than criminal prosecution, and the Public Works Director can suspend water service without notice or hearing during an active leak emergency until repairs are made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cupertino set fixed watering days?
Can I wash my car in the driveway?
What if my sprinkler system is leaking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cupertino
How Cupertino compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Cupertino to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle water restrictions.