Madera County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Unincorporated Madera County does not publish a single countywide outdoor-irrigation calendar (for example, fixed watering days) the way some city water utilities do; most residents in the unincorporated areas are on private wells or small water systems. The binding day-to-day restrictions on outdoor water use come from California's statewide water-waste prohibitions adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board, found in the California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Section 995. Those permanent rules prohibit wasteful practices regardless of any drought declaration, including: applying potable water to outdoor landscapes in a way that causes more than incidental runoff onto adjacent property or hardscape; using potable water to wash sidewalks, driveways, patios, parking lots, and other hard surfaces; washing a vehicle with a hose that lacks a shut-off nozzle; using potable water in non-recirculating decorative fountains; and irrigating ornamental turf and landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall of at least one-quarter inch. Violations are infractions punishable by a fine of up to $500 per day. During declared droughts, the State Water Board can add emergency conservation requirements on top of these permanent rules. Because the county's incorporated cities and individual water systems may impose their own watering schedules, unincorporated residents on a specific water system should confirm any utility-level rules with their provider, while the statewide waste prohibitions apply everywhere.