Water restrictions in Merced, CA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
The City of Merced runs its own groundwater utility and limits outdoor watering by address. Even-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; odd-numbered addresses water Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, only before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Stricter day limits apply at higher conservation levels under Municipal Code Chapter 15.42.
Merced supplies its own drinking water entirely from groundwater (about 20 active well sites), making local conservation a direct City matter and tying it to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The City's water-conservation regulation is Merced Municipal Code Chapter 15.42, with watering levels and prohibitions in Section 15.42.050 (amended by Ordinance No. 2526, effective August 19, 2021). The City's published schedule: "Addresses ending in even numbers may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Addresses ending in odd numbers may water on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Watering is allowed before 9 a.m. and/or after 9 p.m. on those days." That three-day-per-week pattern corresponds to Level 2 (overdraft) conservation. Higher levels tighten the schedule: Level 3 allows two days per week (even on Tuesday/Saturday, odd on Wednesday/Sunday) and shifts customers to the Drought Water Rate; Level 5 cuts watering to one day per week (even on Saturday, odd on Sunday); and the highest level prohibits outdoor watering except minimal maintenance at parks, sports fields, schools, and cemeteries. New lawns are an exception: a resident may obtain a permit from the Public Works office to water a new lawn daily except Mondays. To report water waste, the City lists 388-HELP (388-7283).
Watering outside your assigned days or during the prohibited 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. window violates the conservation regulation in MMC Chapter 15.42. Wasteful water use is prohibited at every level. At Level 3 and above, customers are also moved to the Drought Water Rate schedule. Report waste via 388-HELP (388-7283).
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