Water restrictions in Monterey County, CA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
The Monterey Peninsula (Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Sand City, Del Rey Oaks, and unincorporated coastal areas served by California American Water) is governed by the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District's Water Conservation and Rationing Plan (Rule 160 et seq.). Outdoor irrigation is limited to two days per week (Wednesdays and Saturdays), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 15 minutes per location. Inland Salinas Valley areas are governed by separate district rules.
The Monterey Peninsula's water supply is constrained by State Water Resources Control Board limits on California American Water's diversions from the Carmel River (Order WR 2009-0060). The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) - a special district covering the Cal-Am service area - enforces a tiered Water Conservation and Rationing Plan (Rule 160 - Conservation Standards; Rule 162 - Stages of Water Shortage). Under standard (Stage 1) conditions: outdoor irrigation is restricted to Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no location watered more than 15 minutes. Hand-watering of trees, low-volume drip irrigation, and irrigation managed by a licensed gardener or landscaper on-site is exempt. Stage 2 and higher restrictions (declared during drought emergencies) prohibit irrigating ornamental lawns with potable water and ban refilling of swimming pools. The State Water Resources Control Board's statewide emergency conservation regulations (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23, section 996 et seq.) also apply during declared drought emergencies. Inland Monterey County (Salinas Valley, King City, Greenfield) is served by various water districts and is governed by their separate rules, but the State permanent water-waste prohibitions (no runoff, no hosing down hardscape, no washing vehicles without shutoff nozzle) apply countywide.
Violations of MPWMD Rule 160 are enforced through warnings, escalating administrative penalties (typically $100 first offense, $250 second, $500+ subsequent), and Cal-Am account flow restrictors. Permanent state water-waste prohibitions carry fines up to $500 per day under Cal. Water Code section 1058.5.
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