San Diego Water Restrictions 2026
San Diego County · California
Published:
Restrictions Active - Level 2 Drought Watch - Mandatory Conservation
2
Days/Week
Before 10:00 AM
Allowed Hours
$100 first · $500 repeat
Max Fine
Find Your Watering Day
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| Address Ending | Watering Day |
|---|---|
| Odd | Tuesday & Saturday |
| Even | Wednesday & Sunday |
Allowed Watering Hours
No sprinkler irrigation between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Maximum 10 minutes per zone per watering day (15 minutes for low-precipitation rotator nozzles).
Still Allowed
💧 Hand Watering
Allowed with shut-off nozzle. Hours: Any day with a shut-off nozzle.
🌿 Drip Irrigation
Exempt from day-of-week limits. Must follow allowed hours.
Fines & Enforcement
$100 first · $500 repeat
San Diego Public Utilities enforcement team patrols neighborhoods and responds to Water Waste Hotline reports. First offense: $100. Second: $250. Third+: $500. Continuing violations can add to the monthly bill as a penalty surcharge. Commercial and multi-family properties face penalties up to $1,000.
Citations begin October 2025🏠 HOA Rules During Restrictions
California Water Code §10631.5 and Civil Code §4735 prohibit HOA fines for drought-compliant brown lawns during declared shortage and protect homeowners who reduce irrigation. San Diego is additionally covered by the State Water Resources Control Board's emergency conservation regulations.
If your homeowners association sends a violation notice for a dormant or brown lawn during the current restriction period, respond in writing citing the applicable law and include a copy of the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department's current restriction order. Most HOAs will rescind the notice once they are made aware of the legal protections in place. If the issue persists, contact your county’s code enforcement division for assistance.
Why These Restrictions Exist
San Diego County receives only 10–11 inches of rainfall annually and imports about 85% of its water, the highest import dependency of any large US metro. Supply flows through MWD from the Colorado River and the State Water Project. Sweetwater Reservoir is at 54% of capacity as of April 2026, and the San Diego County Water Authority has activated Stage 1 in coordination with MWD's Level 1 notice. Stage 2 has been in active operational status since October 2025.
This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the San Diego area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.
How to Keep Your Lawn Alive During San Diego Water Restrictions
11 tips tailored for San Diego homeowners during Level 2 Drought Watch - Mandatory Conservation restrictions.
Warm-season Bermuda, Zoysia, and Kikuyu dominate San Diego lawns, all three survive 10+ days between irrigation events in coastal fog zones.
Apply the Water Authority's 4-step 'Run-Soak-Run' method: 4 minutes on, 30-minute soak, 4 minutes on, prevents runoff on the city's decomposed-granite soils.
Coastal properties benefit from marine-layer moisture, monitor ET (evapotranspiration) through WaterSmart and cut irrigation days when marine layer persists past 10 AM.
San Diego's Turf Replacement Rebate pays up to $4/sq ft through 2026, parkway strips and narrow side yards are the easiest removal zones.
Mulch beds to 3 inches with decomposed granite or wood chips; bare soil in San Diego loses twice the moisture of mulched ground in April winds.
Install a Hunter or Rain Bird smart controller with WaterSense certification, rebates of $80 apply through the SoCal Water$mart program.
Fix overspray onto sidewalks and driveways, even during allowed hours, visible waste draws same-day citations from enforcement.
Convert overhead spray heads to matched-precipitation rotary nozzles on slopes, cuts runoff by 30% on hillside lots.
Track your meter at the start and end of a 2-hour no-water window monthly to detect hidden irrigation leaks early.
For ornamental trees near turf, give them separate drip tubing on bubblers, trees are the highest-value landscape asset and the most expensive to replace.
Do not apply nitrogen fertilizer during Level 2 restrictions; stimulated growth requires more water than the schedule permits.
San Diego Water Restriction FAQs
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