San Jose, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in San Jose, 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
- Time-of-day ban
- No irrigation 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Duration cap
- 15 minutes per station per day
- Exempt methods
- Drip irrigation, self-closing hose, hand watering
- Governing section
- SJMC § 15.10.290
- Drought escalation
- Council may add day-per-week limits
Summary
San Jose bans irrigating outdoor landscaping with potable water between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., and caps landscape-irrigation-system watering at fifteen minutes per station per day, under Municipal Code § 15.10.290: hand watering, drip irrigation and self-closing hoses are exempt.
No person shall use, permit or allow the use of Potable Water to irrigate any outdoor landscaping at any time between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., unless the person using, permitting or allowing the use of the water is using a bucket, hand-carried container, a hose equipped with an Automatic Positive Self-Closing Valve, or a Drip Irrigation system.B.No person shall use, permit or allow the use of Potable Water to irrigate any outdoor landscaping or other vegetated area more than fifteen (15) minutes per day per Station when using a landscape irrigation system. This restriction does not apply to the following:1.A hose equipped with an Automatic Positive Self-Closing Valve that is continuously attended;2.Landscape irrigation systems that exclusively use very low-flow drip-type irrigation systems when no Emitter produces more than two gallons of water per hour;3.Irrigation systems employing weather-based controllers; and4.Stream rotor sprinklers that meet a seventy-one percent (71%) efficiency standard.C.The restrictions on landscape irrigation contained in this Section do not apply to the following activities or during the following periods of time:1.Syringing of golf course greens, golf course tees, lawn bowling greens or lawn tennis courts;2.The conduct of a landscape water management audit to provide for the evaluation and adjustment of a landscape irrigation system; or3.During plant Establishment Periods as defined in Section 15.11.390 of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Section 15.10.290 of the Municipal Code bars anyone from using potable water to irrigate outdoor landscaping between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., regardless of the method, and separately limits landscape-irrigation-system watering to fifteen minutes per station per day. The time-of-day ban does not apply to bucket or hand-carried-container watering, a hose fitted with an automatic positive self-closing valve, or drip irrigation. Weather-based controllers and high-efficiency stream rotor sprinklers are exempt from the fifteen-minute cap, as is syringing of golf greens and tennis courts. If the city council later declares a water shortage of ten percent or more, § 15.10.310 lets it further restrict watering to as few as zero to four days per week by resolution.
Violations & Fines
San Jose's code carries no dedicated penalty for Chapter 15.10; violations default to Municipal Code § 1.08.010 as a misdemeanor, up to $1,000 and six months' jail, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I water my lawn during the day in San Jose?
How long can a sprinkler system run per zone?
Does San Jose ever add specific watering days per week?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jose
How San Jose compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare San Jose to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle water restrictions.