Daly City, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Daly City, 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
- Overhead irrigation window
- 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. (regulated projects)
- Rain rule
- No outdoor watering within 48 hours of 1/4 inch of rain
- Runoff
- No watering that lets water run onto sidewalks
- Correction period
- 90 days after notice of correction
- Local code
- DCMC Chapter 17.41 (Ord. 1407, 2016)
Summary
Daly City enforces California's permanent water-waste prohibitions, including no irrigation runoff onto sidewalks and no outdoor watering within 48 hours of a quarter inch of rain. For landscape projects regulated under Daly City Municipal Code Chapter 17.41, overhead irrigation must be scheduled between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
No watering decorative grass in commercial, industrial, and institutional areas. No outdoor watering that lets water run onto sidewalks or other areas. No washing hard surfaces that don't absorb water, like driveways or sidewalks. No washing vehicles without using an automatic shutoff nozzle. No outdoor watering within 48 hours after at least 1/4 inch of rainfall. No using drinking water for street cleaning or construction site preparation. No filling decorative fountains, lakes, or ponds.
Full Breakdown
Daly City operates its own water utility and publishes the State Water Resources Control Board's statewide restrictions on its Water Conservation page, noting that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (the city's wholesale supplier) rescinded its Water Shortage Emergency Declaration in April 2023 while the statewide rules remain in effect. Locally, Daly City Municipal Code Chapter 17.41 (Water Conservation in Landscaping, Ord. No. 1407, adopted Feb. 22, 2016) implements the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. Section 17.41.130 requires irrigation schedules to be regulated by automatic controllers and limits overhead irrigation to between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. unless weather conditions prevent it, with the stricter rule applying if the water purveyor's allowable hours differ. Section 17.41.030 requires owners of existing landscapes over one acre to maintain irrigation facilities to prevent water waste and runoff.
Violations & Fines
Under section 17.41.210, the city may serve a notice of correction giving the property owner 90 days to take corrective action, and may enforce violations through administrative orders under the process in Municipal Code section 8.16.100 et seq., which allows administrative penalties of up to $2,500 per day (capped at $10,000 per related series of violations). Statewide water-waste prohibitions are separately enforceable as infractions under state law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Daly City currently under a drought emergency?
When can I run my sprinklers in Daly City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daly City
How Daly City compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Daly City to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Mateo County handle water restrictions.