Yorba Linda, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Yorba Linda, 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
- New landscape trigger
- 500 sq ft aggregate area
- Rehabilitated landscape trigger
- 2,500 sq ft aggregate area
- Residential water factor
- 0.55 evapotranspiration adjustment factor
- Nonresidential water factor
- 0.45 evapotranspiration adjustment factor
- Special landscape water factor
- 1.0 (orchards, gardens, play areas)
- Watering-day rules set by
- Local water purveyor, not the City
Summary
In the City of Yorba Linda, new landscape projects of 500 square feet or more, and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more, cannot use more water than their calculated Maximum Applied Water Allowance under Municipal Code Section 16.12.040. Day-to-day irrigation rules and water-waste penalties come from the local water purveyor.
A. For applicable landscape installation or rehabilitation projects subject to Section 16.12.020.A of this Chapter 16.12, the Estimated Applied Water Use allowed for the landscaped area shall not exceed the MAWA calculated using an ET adjustment factor of 0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for nonresidential areas, except for special landscaped areas where the MAWA is calculated using an ET adjustment factor of 1.0; or the design of the landscaped area shall otherwise be shown to be equivalently water-efficient in a manner acceptable to the City; as provided in the Guidelines. B. Irrigation of all landscaped areas shall be conducted in a manner conforming to the rules and requirements, and shall be subject to penalties and incentives for water conservation and water waste prevention as determined and implemented by the local water purveyor or as mutually agreed by local water purveyor and the local agency.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 16.12, the Water Efficient Landscape Regulations, caps how much water a covered landscape may use. Section 16.12.040(A) limits the Estimated Applied Water Use to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance, calculated with an evapotranspiration adjustment factor of 0.55 for residential landscapes and 0.45 for nonresidential landscapes, rising to 1.0 for special landscape areas such as orchards, vegetable gardens and active-play recreation areas. Section 16.12.020 triggers the ordinance for new landscape projects with 500 or more square feet of aggregate landscaped area, and rehabilitated landscape projects with 2,500 or more square feet, whenever the project needs a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review; smaller projects can instead meet the prescriptive measures in Appendix A of the City's Guidelines.
Before installation, Section 16.12.030 requires a Landscape Documentation Package certified by a licensed professional and City review of the landscape and irrigation plans and water-use calculations, followed by a Certification of Completion tied to the certificate of occupancy or permit final. Section 16.12.040(B) leaves the day-to-day watering rules, and the penalties and incentives for water waste and conservation, to the local water purveyor, either acting alone or by agreement with the City. Section 16.12.050 lets the City delegate implementation, administration or enforcement of the whole chapter to a local agency such as the water district.
The ordinance implements Governor Brown's April 1, 2015 drought executive order, B-29-15, and exempts registered historical sites, ecological restoration and mined-land reclamation projects that need no permanent irrigation system, and public botanical-garden plant collections.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 16.12 sets no fine schedule of its own; Section 16.12.040(B) instead subjects irrigation of covered landscapes to the penalties and incentives the local water purveyor applies for water waste and conservation. A project built without the required Landscape Documentation Package or water-use review also falls under the City's general penalty, Section 1.12.010, up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Yorba Linda restrict how much water my landscaping can use?
Who sets watering days and hours in Yorba Linda?
Is a small landscaping project exempt from these rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yorba Linda
How Yorba Linda compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Yorba Linda to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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