Ridgecrest, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Ridgecrest, 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
- Applies to
- New/rehab projects 500-2,500+ sq ft
- Requires
- Automatic irrigation controllers
- Watering days/hours
- Set by council resolution
- Adopts
- State MWELO regulations
Summary
Ridgecrest's water efficient landscape ordinance requires automatic irrigation controllers for regulated projects, but leaves the actual allowable watering days and hours to a city council resolution rather than fixing them in the code.
For the efficient use of water, all irrigation schedules shall be developed, managed, and evaluated to utilize the minimum amount of water required to maintain plant health. Irrigation schedules shall meet the following criteria: (1) Irrigation scheduling shall be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers...(4) Allowable irrigation days and hours shall be determined by the city council by way of resolution.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 5-70 requires irrigation schedules for covered landscape projects to use the minimum water needed for plant health, regulated by automatic irrigation controllers using current evapotranspiration or soil-moisture data, but subsection (4) states that allowable irrigation days and hours are set by the city council by resolution, not fixed in the ordinance text itself. The article applies to new landscape projects of 500+ square feet and rehabilitated projects of 2,500+ square feet requiring a permit, per § 5-60. Separately, § 5-71 requires a maintenance schedule and limits watering outside the 'normal watering window' to auditing and system repair.
Violations & Fines
The code does not itself state a penalty schedule for this article; noncompliance is addressed through the landscape documentation package and permit process administered by the city (§§ 5-62, 5-69). Specific day/hour restrictions come from a separate council resolution, not this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ridgecrest's code list specific watering days in the ordinance?
Does this ordinance apply to every yard in Ridgecrest?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgecrest
How Ridgecrest compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Ridgecrest to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kern County handle water restrictions.