Monterey Park, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Monterey Park, 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
- Watering hours ban
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
- Frequency limit
- Once per day maximum
- Post-rain restriction
- 48 hours after measurable rain
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100
- Repeat fines
- Up to $200, then $500
- Enforcing office
- Public Works Director
Summary
In the City of Monterey Park, lawn and landscape watering is banned between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily under Municipal Code Section 14.25.090(c). Watering is capped at once per day and prohibited for 48 hours after measurable rain. The Public Works Director enforces the rule under the city's water conservation and NPDES stormwater permit program, with infraction fines starting at $100.
(c) Lawn/Landscape Watering. To, among other things, comply with the city's NPDES permit requirements: ... (1) It is unlawful for any person to water or cause to be watered any lawn or landscaping between the hours of nine a.m. and five p.m. of any one day; (2) It is unlawful for any person to water or cause to be watered any lawn or landscaping more than once a day; (3) It is unlawful for any person to water or cause to be watered any lawn or landscaping within forty eight hours after measurable precipitation; ... § 14.25.040. Penalties. ... (a) Each infraction is punishable as follows: (1) A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for the first violation; (2) A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same provision within one year; (3) A fine not exceeding five hundred dollars for each additional violation of the same provision within one year of the first violation.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 14.25 of the Monterey Park Municipal Code, adopted in 2021 under Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution and Water Code Section 375, sets citywide water conservation rules that apply regardless of the city's current drought stage declaration. Section 14.25.090(c) targets lawn and landscape irrigation specifically to comply with the city's NPDES permit requirements: watering between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. is unlawful, watering more than once a day is unlawful, and watering within 48 hours after measurable precipitation is unlawful. The same section requires residents to inspect hoses, faucets and sprinkler systems for leaks and repair them as soon as reasonably practicable, and separately bars runoff from sprinklers onto adjoining streets, parking lots or alleys.
Section 14.25.020 states that where this chapter conflicts with the older water regulations in Chapter 14.08, the more restrictive rule controls, and the director may make a written determination on any conflict in consultation with the city attorney. Violations are infractions under Section 14.25.030 unless a person repeats the same violation a fourth time within a year, at which point the city attorney may charge it as a misdemeanor. The city may also enforce the chapter through administrative citations issued under Chapter 4.20, and any violation is treated as a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Section 14.25.050 exempts water use needed to address an immediate threat to health and safety or to comply with a state or federal permit condition, and a person may raise that exemption as a defense.
Violations & Fines
A first landscape-watering violation draws a fine up to $100 under Section 14.25.040; a second violation of the same rule within a year rises to $200, and each further repeat within that year reaches $500. A fourth violation of the same provision within twelve months lets the city attorney file it as a misdemeanor instead of an infraction. The city may also abate the violation as a public nuisance and issue administrative citations under Chapter 4.20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn in Monterey Park during the day?
What happens if my sprinklers cause runoff into the street?
What is the penalty for violating Monterey Park's watering rules?
Is there an exception during a health emergency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey Park
How Monterey Park compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey Park to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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