Riverside Public Utilities Water restricts outdoor irrigation to assigned days based on address, prohibits watering during and 48 hours after rain, and bans runoff onto sidewalks and streets, with tiered penalties during drought emergencies.
Riverside Public Utilities operates the city water system and follows California State Water Resources Control Board emergency drought regulations layered on local rules. Outdoor watering is typically allowed only on assigned days based on the last digit of the street address, before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. to reduce evaporation. Runoff onto sidewalks, gutters, or streets is always prohibited. During declared drought stages, RPU may further reduce permitted watering days and impose mandatory percentage cutbacks against historic baselines.
First violations usually trigger a written warning, followed by escalating fines that can exceed several hundred dollars per occurrence at higher drought stages, with potential flow restrictors for repeat offenders.
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