Water restrictions in Tulare, CA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 7.32 imposes mandatory year-round outdoor watering restrictions tied to a stage-based conservation framework. Odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday and Saturday; even-numbered addresses water Wednesday and Sunday. Irrigation between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. is always prohibited (§ 7.32.050). Tulare sits in the Kaweah Subbasin, designated critical-overdraft under SGMA, making compliance unusually aggressive.
TMC § 7.32.060 (Outdoor water use — Water conservation stages) sets the schedule. Baseline: outdoor irrigation only on assigned days and only between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. § 7.32.050 (Prohibition on water waste) bans: irrigation within 48 hours of a measurable rain event on a designated watering day; irrigation between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; irrigation runoff onto sidewalks, gutters, or streets; washing paved surfaces (driveways, sidewalks, patios) absent an approved exemption; and vehicle washing without a positive shut-off nozzle. During Stage 2, no outdoor irrigation December–February and one watering day per week (even addresses Sunday only, odd addresses Saturday only). Stage 3 (declared June 2021 and reaffirmed during recent drought cycles) further restricts to two days/week with narrow time windows.
Administrative citations under TMC § 7.32: written warning for first offense, $100 second offense, $200 third, $500 each subsequent within 12 months. Continued violations may result in flow restrictor installation or water service termination.
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