Solano County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Solano County, 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
- County WELO
- Solano County Code Ch. 13.5, Sec. 13.5-10
- Adopts
- State MWELO (23 CCR 490 et seq.)
- New Landscape Trigger
- 500+ sq ft
- Rehab Trigger
- 2,500+ sq ft
- Drought Rules
- State Water Resources Control Board
- Watering Schedule
- Set by local water supplier
Summary
Unincorporated Solano County adopts the California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) at Solano County Code Chapter 13.5, applying to new landscapes of 500+ square feet and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500+ square feet. Day-to-day drought and outdoor-watering restrictions are set by the State Water Resources Control Board and by individual local water suppliers, not by a county watering-schedule ordinance.
New landscape projects with total landscape area at least 500 square feet or renovated landscape area at least 2500 square feet must be approved prior to project installation.
Full Breakdown
7, Sections 490 et seq. (MWELO). Under the state MWELO thresholds the County applies, a landscape-documentation package is required for new landscape projects of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated projects of 2,500 square feet or more; projects below those sizes (0-499 sq ft new, 0-2,499 sq ft rehabilitated), registered historical sites, and certain ecological-restoration and mined-land projects without permanent irrigation are exempt. gov). MWELO sets a maximum applied water allowance, requires efficient irrigation (weather- or soil-based controllers), a minimum three inches of mulch on exposed soil, and limits high-water-use turf.
Separately, statewide outdoor-watering prohibitions during droughts (for example, bans on runoff, hosing down pavement, and certain ornamental-turf irrigation) are adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and apply regardless of county code. Actual day-to-day watering schedules and stage-based restrictions are set by each retail water supplier (such as the Solano Irrigation District or city utilities), so a homeowner's specific watering days come from their water provider, not a single Solano County schedule.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance with Chapter 13.5 / MWELO is enforced at plan check and project approval - a noncompliant landscape package can be denied, and certificates of completion can be withheld. Violations of SWRCB emergency drought regulations carry state administrative penalties. Watering-schedule violations are enforced and penalized by the individual water supplier under its own rules and rate ordinances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size landscaping triggers Solano County's water ordinance?
Who sets my outdoor watering days in unincorporated Solano County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Solano County
How Solano County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Solano County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.