San Benito County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in San Benito County, 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
- Scope
- CSA 31 customers only (Stonegate area)
- Domestic cap
- Board-set monthly allotment, potable water
- Ag cap
- Board-set monthly/annual allotment
- 3rd violation
- Water service disconnection
- Max criminal fine
- $1,000 plus 30 days jail
Summary
In County Service Area 31, unincorporated San Benito County caps potable and agricultural water use with Board-set monthly allotments instead of scheduled watering days, enforced through flow restriction, fines, or disconnection.
(A) The provisions of this Article apply to any person that uses potable or agricultural ("blue-valve") water provided by County Service Area No. 31. ... (A) The Board of Supervisors may establish, by resolution or ordinance, in its discretion, a monthly domestic water allotment of the potable water supplied by the CSA 31 well. ... (B) No person shall use or allow to be used on a parcel domestic/potable supplied by CSA 31 in excess of the monthly domestic water allotment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: current through Ordinance 1078).
Full Breakdown
This water conservation ordinance applies only to customers who get potable or agricultural ("blue-valve") water from County Service Area 31, roughly the Stonegate area near Hollister, not to the rest of unincorporated San Benito County or to any city. Rather than fixed watering days or hours, the Board of Supervisors sets a monthly (and annual, for agricultural users) water allotment by resolution, and no person may use water on a parcel beyond that allotment. Unused monthly allotment banks forward; running over draws enforcement. Property elsewhere in the unincorporated county has no comparable county-set watering restriction in this code.
Violations & Fines
A first violation draws written notice; continued violations bring flow restriction, civil fines up to $500, and service disconnection on a third offense; criminal charges can reach $1,000 and 30 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to my unincorporated San Benito County property?
Can the county shut off water for going over the allotment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Benito County
How San Benito County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare San Benito County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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