Lodi, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Lodi, 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
- Odd addresses
- Water Wed, Fri, Sun only
- Even addresses
- Water Tue, Thu, Sat only
- Monday
- No watering allowed citywide
- Banned hours
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 2nd offense in 12 months
- Council-set surcharge on water bill
- 5th offense
- Meter/flow-restrictor may be required
- Emergency violations
- Charged as a misdemeanor
Summary
Lodi limits landscape watering to three days a week by address parity, bans watering on Mondays citywide, and prohibits irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. year-round. Odd-numbered addresses water Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; even-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Public Works enforces the schedule through escalating surcharges and possible water shutoff for repeat violations.
A.Days. The watering of lawns, flower beds, landscaping, ornamental plants or gardens throughout the year shall be allowed as follows:1.Premises having odd numbered street addresses on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday;2.Premises having even numbered street addresses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday;3.No watering will be allowed on Mondays.B.Hours. Watering of lawns, flower beds, landscaping, ornamental plants or gardens shall not be allowed at any hour between the hours of ten a.m. and six p.m. ... In addition to the administrative enforcement procedures and surcharges set forth in this article, each violation of this article may be punishable as an infraction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Lodi's water conservation rules (Lodi Municipal Code Chapter 13.08, Article III) set a fixed watering calendar for every property, rain or shine. Premises with odd-numbered street addresses can irrigate lawns, flower beds, landscaping and gardens only on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; even-numbered addresses are limited to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; no property can water on Monday (§ 13.08.240(A)). Watering is banned altogether between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day (§ 13.08.240(B)), though city-owned parks are exempt from both the day and hour rules because of their size and use patterns (§ 13.08.240(C)).
The ordinance separately defines 'waste of water' to include leaking irrigation, overspray onto pavement, hosing down driveways or sidewalks except to remove a health hazard, washing a vehicle with a hose lacking a shutoff nozzle for more than three minutes, letting water run into a gutter, and watering within 48 hours after measurable rain (§ 13.08.230). Enforcement escalates by billing cycle: a first waste-of-water notice requires correction within 72 hours, a second offense within 12 months adds a surcharge to the water bill, and third, fourth and fifth offenses add further surcharges, with the fifth potentially forcing the owner to pay for a water meter and flow restrictor (§ 13.08.250).
Any further violation lets the city disconnect water service outright (§ 13.08.250(F)). Property owners can request a hardship waiver from the public works director at least 24 hours ahead, appealable to the city manager and then the city council (§§ 13.08.260-.270). During a declared local water shortage or a governor's drought emergency, the public works director can impose additional restrictions, and violating those emergency measures is a misdemeanor rather than a standard infraction (§ 13.08.240(D)).
Violations & Fines
Ordinary waste-of-water and watering-schedule violations are infractions (§ 13.08.280), but breaking emergency drought restrictions imposed under § 13.08.240(D) is a misdemeanor. Enforcement runs through billing: the city issues a correction notice, then adds a council-set surcharge to the water bill for a second offense within 12 months, larger surcharges for the third through fifth offense, a mandatory meter and flow-restrictor for a fifth offense on an unmetered property, and disconnection of water service for any further violation, plus a reconnection charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can Lodi shut off my water for watering violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
How Lodi compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Lodi to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle water restrictions.