Water restrictions in Placer County, CA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Most of western and central Placer County is served by the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA), which sets watering practices and stage-based restrictions. PCWA's standing guidance is to water before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. and to follow the California Water Code §365 prohibitions on watering during/within 48 hours of measurable rain.
PCWA provides treated and untreated (canal) water to most of western Placer County. PCWA's published conservation rules call for outdoor watering before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. (to reduce evaporation), use of weather-based controllers, and no watering of hardscape or during measurable precipitation. During constrained supply years — including 2024-2025 with Lake Spaulding repairs — PCWA imposed a 20% reduction for canal customers and asked voluntary 20% reductions from others. The California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO, Title 23 CCR §490 et seq.) is adopted by Placer County through Chapter 15 of the Placer County Code and applies to new and rehabilitated landscapes over the size thresholds. State emergency drought regulations (Cal. Code Regs. Title 23 §996 et seq.) impose statewide bans on hosing down hardscape, washing vehicles without a shutoff nozzle, ornamental-turf irrigation at non-functional turf sites, and watering during/within 48 hours of rain.
PCWA enforces water-use rules through customer notices, surcharges, and ultimately service restrictions. State Water Board emergency rules carry administrative fines of up to $500 per day.
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See how Placer County's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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