Palm Springs, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Chapter 11.06, Water Conservation
- Leak duty
- No leaking exterior or interior pipe, hose or fixture allowed
- Irrigation upkeep
- Systems must be inspected, repaired, clock reset monthly
- Watering hours
- No irrigation between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor per day; public nuisance under Sec. 11.06.080
- Adopted
- Ordinance 1858, 2014
Summary
Palm Springs makes it unlawful to let water leak from any exterior or interior pipe, hose or fixture, and requires landscape irrigation systems to be inspected, maintained and repaired to eliminate leaks. Any leak or water waste is a public nuisance and a misdemeanor for each day it continues.
(d) Landscape irrigation system maintenance. Landscape irrigation systems shall be maintained to ensure water efficiency and shall be regularly inspected, maintained and repaired to eliminate leaks and remove obstructions to water emission devices. System maintenance shall include, but is not limited to, resetting the landscape clock monthly. ... (j) Water and leaks. No person shall: 1. Cause, permit or allow water to leak from any exterior or interior pipe, hose or plumbing fixture. 2. Cause, permit or allow water to flow from any source, without first being put to productive use, on private or public property onto walk-ways, sidewalks, streets, alleys or storm drains, except as a result of rainfall or pumping excessive groundwater infiltration, such as by means of a sump pump.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
06 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code, the Water Conservation ordinance adopted by Ord. 050. Subsection (j) bars anyone from causing, permitting or allowing water to leak from any exterior or interior pipe, hose or plumbing fixture, and separately bars letting water flow onto walkways, sidewalks, streets, alleys or storm drains without first being put to productive use, unless the runoff results from rainfall or from pumping excessive groundwater infiltration such as a sump pump. Subsection (d) requires that landscape irrigation systems be maintained to ensure water efficiency and be regularly inspected, maintained and repaired to eliminate leaks and remove obstructions to water emission devices, and specifies that maintenance includes resetting the landscape clock monthly.
050(a)(5) carves out an exception for water expended for limited periods of time necessary for irrigation system maintenance or leak repair, so crews fixing a leak are not penalized for the water used during the repair itself. 040, and the City Council may exempt only pilot or special programs undertaken with the city's own water provider. There is no separate leak-reporting hotline written into the chapter; the duty runs directly to the property owner or water user to find and fix leaks.
Violations & Fines
Section 11.06.080 makes any violation of Chapter 11.06 a public nuisance and a misdemeanor for each day the violation continues, enforceable under Sections 1.01.140 and 1.01.150 and through the administrative citation process in Chapter 1.06. A general code misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in the city or Riverside County jail, or both, under Section 1.01.160; the city may also pursue civil nuisance remedies in addition to any criminal penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a dripping sprinkler head illegal in Palm Springs?
Do I get in trouble for the water used while fixing a leak?
What happens if I ignore a known leak?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
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How other cities in Riverside County handle leak reporting duty.