Ontario, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Ontario, 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
- Code chapter
- Ontario MC Ch. 8A (Water Conservation Plan), Sec. 6-8.20 to 6-8.35
- Current stage
- Voluntary Conservation Stage (no drought declared)
- Suggested no-water hours
- 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Mandatory stages
- Stage 1 (10%) through Stage 6 (50%+)
- Declaring authority
- City Council (Sec. 6-8.22)
- Administered by
- Ontario WaterWise / Municipal Utilities Company
Summary
Ontario is in the Voluntary Conservation Stage of its Water Conservation Plan (Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 8A, sections 6-8.20 through 6-8.35). The City's WaterWise program asks residents to avoid watering lawns between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, prevent irrigation runoff, and stop hose-washing of paved surfaces; mandatory restrictions take effect only if the City Council declares a Stage 1 through Stage 6 shortage.
Avoid watering lawns, and the like, between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Prevent water from running off from landscaped areas due to incorrectly directed or maintained sprinklers or excessive watering. Avoid hose washing of sidewalks, driveways, and other parking/paved surfaces. Promptly repair leaks from indoor and outdoor plumbing fixtures. Cars and other vehicles should be washed by hand, rinsed with a hose with a positive shutoff nozzle, at a commercial car wash, or with recycled water.
Full Breakdown
35. 31) that the City Council may invoke when supply is reduced from ten percent up to more than fifty percent. As of this writing the City is in the Voluntary Stage with no drought declared, so the WaterWise conservation measures are requests rather than enforceable mandates. 23 permanently bars certain new water connections from using non-recycling decorative fountains, single-pass cooling systems, and non-reuse car-wash or laundry systems. 22 based on determinations by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, a Governor's executive order, or a state-agency restriction; once declared, restrictions take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation. Ontario Municipal Utilities Company administers the program through the WaterWise initiative.
Violations & Fines
In the Voluntary Stage the WaterWise measures are requests, not enforceable mandates. If the City Council declares a Stage 1 through Stage 6 shortage, sections 6-8.33 and 6-8.34 authorize enforcement, including penalties and an appeal/hearing process; exceptions for recycled water and public-health uses are preserved under section 6-8.24.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are watering restrictions mandatory in Ontario right now?
When does Ontario impose mandatory limits?
Can I hose down my driveway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
How Ontario compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle water restrictions.