Hawthorne, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

The City of Hawthorne operates its own municipal water system (City of Hawthorne Water, under Public Works) for most of the city, while Golden State Water Company - Southwest serves portions of the area; both impose conservation rules. Under Hawthorne's Water Conservation Program in the municipal code, irrigation of residential and commercial landscape is permitted only before 8:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m., and not during or within 48 hours after a measurable rainfall. Watering days are assigned by address: even-numbered addresses may irrigate on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and odd-numbered addresses on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The program is tiered: in earlier drought stages, irrigating ornamental landscape with potable water is limited to no more than three days per week; later stages cut this to two days, then one day per week, with reduced assigned days; and in the most severe mandatory stage, irrigating ornamental landscape with potable water is prohibited except hand-watering of trees and shrubs with a bucket or a continuously monitored hose fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle. The code also prohibits irrigation of ornamental turf in public street medians with potable water. Vehicle washing must use a bucket and a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, a mobile high-pressure/low-volume system, or a commercial site that recirculates water. These local rules complement statewide prohibitions on water waste adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (no hosing of sidewalks/driveways, no runoff, shut-off nozzles required).