Sacramento Department of Utilities limits landscape irrigation to assigned days based on address, prohibits watering between 10am and 7pm, and bans runoff onto sidewalks. Restrictions tighten further during state drought declarations.
Sacramento City Code Title 13 Chapter 13.04 authorizes the Department of Utilities (SacDOU) to set water-conservation rules. Standard rules limit residential irrigation to two days per week with a third allowed seasonally — even-numbered addresses on Tuesday/Saturday and odd-numbered on Wednesday/Sunday. Watering between 10am and 7pm is prohibited year-round to reduce evaporation. Runoff onto pavement, hose-washing of driveways, and broken sprinklers spraying hardscape are all violations. During Stage 2+ shortages declared under SGMA-aligned local rules, schedules tighten to one day per week.
First violation is typically a written warning, then $50 administrative fines escalating to $500 for repeat or commercial offenses. Severe drought stages add per-day penalties, and chronic violators face flow-restriction devices.
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