San Bernardino County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

The County of San Bernardino does not set countywide outdoor watering schedules; those are the responsibility of the dozens of local water districts and the State. Under California's permanent water-waste prohibitions, the State Water Resources Control Board bans certain potable-water uses statewide regardless of drought, including: hosing off sidewalks, driveways, and other hard surfaces; applying water in a way that causes runoff onto streets, sidewalks, or adjacent property; using a hose without a shut-off nozzle to wash a vehicle; operating decorative fountains that do not recirculate water; and irrigating turf or ornamental landscapes during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall of at least one-quarter inch. In July 2024 the State Board also adopted the 'Making Conservation a California Way of Life' regulation, effective January 1, 2025, which sets long-term water-use objectives for urban water suppliers and phases out irrigation of non-functional (decorative) turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. Where development occurs, the County's own Development Code Chapter 83.10 requires water-efficient landscaping at least as effective as the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (see the water-restrictions and native-plants context). For your specific watering days and drought stage, check your water purveyor, because the County itself does not issue a watering-day schedule for unincorporated areas.