Pleasanton, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Pleasanton, 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
- Standard irrigation window
- 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Exempt methods
- Hand-held nozzle or drip irrigation
- Stage 4 mandatory limit
- 2 non-consecutive weekdays
- Post-rain irrigation ban
- 48 hours after 0.25 inch rain
- Top excess-use penalty
- $40/unit plus $850 (Stage 6)
- Administering office
- Director of Operations and Water Utilities
Summary
Pleasanton requires all regular lawn and landscape irrigation to run between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., a rule that applies at all times regardless of drought status; hand watering and drip irrigation are exempt from the clock. When the city council declares a water shortage, mandatory stages further cap outdoor watering to as few as two non-consecutive days a week and add escalating drought surcharges.
Pleasanton customers shall always observe the following regulations on water use: ... Schedule regular irrigation of lawn and landscape between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day. Watering is permitted at any hour if a hand-held nozzle or drip irrigation is used. Special landscapes are exempted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4955754; v17 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
080(A)(2)). The same always-in-effect list bars irrigation runoff onto streets or driveways, washing hard surfaces with potable water, filling decorative fountains and ponds, and watering within 48 hours after a quarter-inch of measurable rain. 060 lays out six escalating stages, from Stage 1 (up to 10% voluntary reduction) through Stage 6 (more than 50% mandatory), triggered by how much water Zone 7 Water Agency can supply and how much the city can pump from its wells. 080(B)-(F) layers on day-of-week limits: Stage 2 restricts outdoor irrigation to one day a week November through February and three non-consecutive days March through October; Stage 3 tightens the March-October allowance to two days; Stage 4 limits single-family and most other customers to hand-watering, drip or subsurface irrigation on two non-consecutive weekdays (Mondays and Thursdays absent a director exception); Stage 5 bars refilling swimming pools except for structural repair or public health compliance; and Stage 6 prohibits potable turf irrigation altogether. 070(B)(1)). The director of operations and water utilities administers the stages and may grant alternate schedules to commercial nurseries, sports fields and golf courses.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding a mandatory stage's allocation draws an escalating 'drought surcharge' under § 9.30.100: a first Stage 2 mandatory overage costs $2.50 per unit with no flat fine, but a fourth-or-more overage in Stage 6 costs $40 per unit plus an $850 flat penalty. Watering outside the 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. window, using a daytime schedule between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or letting irrigation runoff reach the street is separately defined as unlawful 'waste' under § 9.30.110.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can I water my lawn in Pleasanton?
Does the city ever cut watering to specific days?
What does it cost if I use more than my allowance?
Can I wash my car at home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pleasanton
How Pleasanton compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Pleasanton to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle water restrictions.