Santa Maria, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Santa Maria's everyday outdoor water rules sit in Title 8, Chapter 8-10 (Water Service) of the Municipal Code. Section 8-10.33 (Water Waste: Outdoor Water Use Restrictions) bars (a) applying potable water to landscapes in a way that causes runoff onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures; (b) washing a vehicle with a hose that lacks a shut-off nozzle; (c) hosing down driveways and sidewalks; and (d) operating decorative fountains or water features without a recirculating system. Consumers must keep pipes, faucets, valves, and fixtures in good repair to prevent waste. On June 21, 2022 the City Council unanimously enacted Stage 2 of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan in response to the State Water Resources Control Board's emergency conservation regulation (adopted May 24, 2022 under Executive Order N-7-22). Stage 2 prohibits outdoor irrigation between noon and 4:00 p.m. and prohibits irrigation during or within 48 hours of measurable rainfall. The statewide non-functional turf ban (SWRCB emergency regulation, 23 CCR §§ 996-997) also applies, prohibiting potable irrigation of ornamental turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) properties, including HOA common areas, but not residential lawns or trees.