Los Angeles, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Los Angeles, 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
- No-watering window (permanent, Phase I)
- 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily
- Spray head/bubbler limit
- 10 minutes per station per watering day
- Standard rotor limit
- 15 min/cycle, max 2 cycles/day per station
- Rain restriction
- No watering during or within 48 hours of measurable rain
- Drip irrigation exemption
- Emitters ≤4 gal/hour; micro-sprinklers <14 gal/hour
- Enforcement
- LADWP; penalties on water bill
Summary
All LADWP customers are permanently prohibited from irrigating between 9 am and 4 pm, during rain, or within 48 hours after rain. Spray-head sprinklers are capped at 10 minutes per station per day; standard rotors at 15 minutes per cycle with a 2-cycle daily maximum.
A. PHASE I – Prohibited Uses Applicable to All Customers.
6. No Customer of the Department shall irrigate during periods of rain and within 48 hours after a measurable rain event.
7. No Customer of the Department shall water or irrigate lawn, landscape or other vegetated areas between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. During these hours, public and private golf course greens and tees and professional Sports Fields may be irrigated in order to maintain play areas and accommodate event schedules. Supervised testing or repairing of irrigation systems is allowed anytime with proper signage.
8. All irrigating of landscape with potable water using spray head sprinklers and bubblers shall be limited to no more than ten (10) minutes per watering day per station. All irrigating of landscape with potable water using standard rotors and multi-stream rotary heads shall be limited to no more than fifteen (15) minutes per cycle and up to two (2) cycles per watering day per station. Exempt from these landscape irrigation restrictions are irrigation systems using very low-flow drip-type irrigation when no emitter produces more than four (4) gallons of water per hour and micro-sprinklers using less than fourteen (14) gallons per hour.
Full Breakdown
LAMC § 121.08(A) (Phase I) is permanently in effect and cannot be terminated by mayoral proclamation. It also bans hosing down paved surfaces, allows decorative fountains only if recirculating, and prohibits run-off onto streets or sidewalks. Drip irrigation with emitters producing no more than 4 gallons per hour is exempt from timing limits. Recycled water and gray water use is not subject to the restrictions. Higher conservation phases (II–V), triggered by the Mayor with Council concurrence, progressively restrict watering days from 3 per week down to none. Golf greens and professional sports fields are excepted from the 9 am–4 pm ban.
Violations & Fines
Phase I penalties (small meter): 1st = written warning, 2nd = $50, 3rd = $100, 4th = $150. Large meter doubles each figure. After a 5th violation LADWP may install a 1 GPM flow restrictor or terminate service. Penalties appear on the customer's water bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn at 7 am before it gets hot?
Is my drip system subject to the 10-minute limit?
What happens if I water the day after it rains?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
How Los Angeles compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle water restrictions.