Lake Forest, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

The City of Lake Forest does not run its own water utility and does not set landscape-watering days or hours in its municipal code. Water is delivered by several special districts depending on where the property sits, including El Toro Water District (ETWD), Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD), Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), and Trabuco Canyon Water District (TCWD). Each district sets its own conservation requirements. El Toro Water District, which serves much of the city, adopted Permanent Mandatory Water Conservation Measures (in effect year round) that: limit lawn and landscape watering to before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.; cap outside watering at no more than 15 minutes per day per valve; require sprinklers off while it is raining; prohibit excessive flow or runoff; require prompt repair of leaks and broken sprinklers; prohibit hosing down sidewalks, driveways, and patios; and require a positive shut-off nozzle (or a bucket) when washing vehicles. Layered on top are statewide rules from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB): permanent water-waste prohibitions (effective Jan. 1, 2025) bar irrigation runoff onto hardscape, hosing down pavement, watering within 48 hours of measurable rain, and washing vehicles without a shut-off nozzle, and the 'Making Conservation a California Way of Life' framework requires suppliers to meet long-term efficiency budgets. Residents should confirm which district serves their address for the binding schedule.