Tracy, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Tracy, 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
- Standing rule
- No irrigation 48 hrs after rain, no hardscape watering
- Stage 1
- Water only before 9am or after 7pm
- Stage 2
- 3 days/week by odd/even address
- Stage 4
- 2 days/week
- Stage 5
- Outdoor potable water use banned
- Excessive violations
- Service terminated after 4 in 6 months
Summary
Tracy restricts landscape irrigation year-round and tightens it further once the City Council declares a drought stage: Stage 1 (Municipal Code Section 11.28.170) limits all watering to before 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., and Stage 2 (Section 11.28.180) cuts irrigation to three days a week by odd/even address, escalating through Stage 5, which can ban all outdoor potable water use.
11.28.170 - Stage 1 water restrictions. (a)All landscape irrigation is restricted to before 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. daily. This applies to residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal and other public agencies or entities. 11.28.180 - Stage 2 water restrictions. In addition to Stage 1, the following requirements apply: (a)Landscapes, including residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal and other public agencies or entities, may be irrigated three (3) days per week as follows:(1)Odd-numbered addresses may irrigate only on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday before 9:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m.(2)Even-numbered addresses may irrigate only on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday before 9:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m.(3)At any time provided that only drip, microspray or bubbler irrigation is used.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Article 6 of Chapter 11.28 sets a five-stage water conservation and rationing plan the City Council activates by resolution under Section 11.28.130 once trigger conditions in Section 11.28.140 are met, such as groundwater dropping to 30 feet below sea level, a Central Valley Project or South San Joaquin Irrigation District cutback, or a gubernatorial drought declaration; moving from Stage 1 up through Stage 5 requires a noticed public hearing. Even absent a declared stage, Section 11.28.160's standing prohibitions always apply: no flagrant water waste, no hose without a shutoff nozzle, no irrigating within 48 hours of measurable rainfall, no irrigating hardscape, and any leak must be repaired within 72 hours.
Stage 1 (Section 11.28.170) confines all landscape irrigation, residential and commercial alike, to before 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., and requires restaurants to post drought notices and hotels to offer an opt-out of daily linen service. Stage 2 (Section 11.28.180) narrows irrigation to three days a week, odd-numbered addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and even-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, unless the system used is drip, microspray or bubbler irrigation, and shortens the leak-repair window to 48 hours. Stage 3 (Section 11.28.190) adds bucket-only residential car washing and pool refill limits.
Stage 4 (Section 11.28.200) cuts irrigation to two days a week. Stage 5 (Section 11.28.210) lets the Council prohibit all non-essential water use, ban outdoor potable water entirely, and order the Utilities Director to set per-account water budgets during a declared water emergency.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through Section 11.28.070: the Director first issues a cease-and-desist order, and continued violation after that triggers a notice of intent to impose a penalty of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third and each one after. Section 11.28.110 lets the City terminate water service altogether after more than four violations in a six-month period, following a door-hanger or mailed notice, and a customer has 15 calendar days to appeal a penalty to the City Manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Tracy's baseline watering rules right now, drought or not?
What days can I water my lawn once Tracy is in Stage 2?
How does the City decide to move to a higher water restriction stage?
What happens if I keep violating the watering restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
How Tracy compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Tracy to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle water restrictions.