The California Water Conservation Act, enacted through Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668 in 2018 and known as “Making Conservation a California Way of Life,” puts permanent water efficiency rules in place that apply in wet years and dry ones alike. It bans specific water-wasting practices statewide, phases out decorative grass irrigation at commercial and public properties, and requires every urban water supplier to meet an annual efficiency budget beginning in 2027. Individuals who violate the waste rules during a drought can be fined up to $500 per day, and suppliers that miss their targets face state enforcement.
What Is Permanently Prohibited Statewide
Some water uses are off-limits in California at all times, regardless of drought conditions, and the rules apply to homeowners, renters, businesses, and government facilities equally. The prohibited activities are:1Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Tit. 23 Section 995 – Wasteful and Unreasonable Water Uses
- Using potable water to hose down sidewalks, driveways, buildings, patios, parking lots, or other hard surfaces, unless health and safety are at risk.
- Irrigating in a way that lets water run off onto streets, sidewalks, or neighboring properties.
- Watering turf or ornamental landscapes during or within 48 hours after a quarter inch or more of rainfall, measured by the National Weather Service, the nearest CIMIS station, or other reliable rainfall data.
- Running decorative fountains or filling decorative lakes and ponds with potable water unless a recirculating pump is used and refills only replace evaporation.
- Washing a vehicle with a hose that has no shut-off nozzle.
Two hospitality rules sit alongside these. Hotels and motels must give guests the option to decline daily laundering of towels and linens. Restaurants and other eating establishments cannot serve water to customers unless the customer asks for it.
The Non-Functional Turf Phase-Out
Assembly Bill 1572, codified at Water Code section 10608.14, bans the use of potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at most non-residential properties on a staggered schedule. Non-functional turf means decorative grass that serves no recreational purpose, including grass on road medians, in parking lots, and in areas permanently fenced off from public use. Grass on sports fields, school playgrounds, picnic areas, and other spaces actively used for recreation or community gatherings is considered functional and is exempt.2California Legislative Information. California Water Code 10608.14
The deadlines depend on who owns the property:
- January 1, 2027: properties owned by the Department of General Services, local governments, public agencies, and public water systems.
- January 1, 2028: all other commercial, industrial, and institutional properties.
- January 1, 2029: common areas of homeowners associations, common interest developments, and similar community organizations.
- January 1, 2031 or later: government and public water system properties in disadvantaged communities, with the deadline tied to the later of 2031 or the availability of state funding for turf conversion.
Residential properties are not covered. Homeowners can keep watering their lawns with potable water. The law also allows potable water where it is needed to keep trees and other permanent non-turf plants alive, or to address an immediate health or safety need. Property owners facing economic hardship, a critical business need, or a health and safety concern can apply to the State Water Resources Control Board for up to a three-year postponement of their deadline.2California Legislative Information. California Water Code 10608.14 Public water systems must update their service rules and notify customers of the requirements by January 1, 2027, no matter when the customer’s own compliance deadline falls.
What Urban Water Suppliers Must Do
Beginning January 1, 2027, every urban retail water supplier in California must calculate an annual Urban Water Use Objective and show that its actual deliveries did not exceed that budget.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Tit. 23 Section 966 – Urban Water Use Objectives The objective is not a single per-person cap. It is a tailored aggregate budget that reflects the service area’s climate, how much landscape it contains, and the condition of the distribution system. Compliance is measured against the total, with water loss performance also assessed on its own.
The budget is the sum of five pieces: an indoor residential allowance based on a per-person daily standard, an outdoor residential allowance based on landscape square footage and local evapotranspiration, an allowance for landscape irrigation at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties with dedicated meters, an allowance for unavoidable real water loss, and any approved variances plus a bonus incentive for using potable reuse water.4Department of Water Resources. Urban Water Use Efficiency Standards, Variances and Performance Measures The original indoor residential standard was 55 gallons per capita per day through 2025, and DWR and the SWRCB recommended lowering it to 47 GPCD by 2025 and 42 GPCD by 2030 and beyond.5Department of Water Resources. State Agencies Recommend Indoor Residential Water Use Standard
The practical result is that a hot inland community with large irrigated yards gets a larger total budget than a cool coastal one with smaller yards, even though both face the same indoor per-person standard. Suppliers report their objective and their actual use to the state each year. The Department of Water Resources develops the technical standards, landscape measurements, and climate data that feed the calculation, and the State Water Resources Control Board writes the binding regulations and handles enforcement.4Department of Water Resources. Urban Water Use Efficiency Standards, Variances and Performance Measures
Fines and Enforcement
Enforcement runs on two tracks. Individual violations of the statewide waste prohibitions during drought conditions are infractions carrying fines of up to $500 per day for each day the violation continues.6Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Tit. 23 Section 996 – Urban Drought Response Actions Local water agencies typically handle these cases, and regulators have said fines are expected to be rare, aimed mainly at repeat or egregious violators rather than first-time offenders.
Outside of drought conditions, a public entity that has adopted a local water waste ordinance can pursue civil liability under Water Code section 377. If a person continues violating after receiving notice, civil penalties can reach up to $10,000 plus $500 for each additional day the violation persists beyond 30 days after notification.7California Legislative Information. California Water Code 377
Urban retail water suppliers face a separate enforcement regime. Starting in 2027, suppliers that exceed their Urban Water Use Objective can face Administrative Civil Liability proceedings, with per-day penalty amounts that increase during declared drought emergencies.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Tit. 23 Section 966 – Urban Water Use Objectives The SWRCB can issue compliance orders and, if a supplier ignores a final order, go to court to collect.
How to Report Water Waste
California maintains an anonymous online portal at savewater.ca.gov. A report needs a description of the waste, the location, and when it happened. The categories mirror the statewide prohibitions: irrigation runoff, hosing down hard surfaces, watering after rainfall, missing shut-off nozzles, and non-functional turf irrigation at commercial or government properties.8State of California. Save Water Report You can attach a photo and add comments. Your contact information is never required.
Rebates for Turf Replacement and Efficient Irrigation
Many California water agencies offer rebates to offset the cost of pulling out non-functional turf and installing efficient equipment. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California offers $2.00 per square foot for turf replacement, covering up to 5,000 square feet of converted yard per year, and local agencies may stack their own incentive on top.9SoCal Water$mart. Turf Replacement Program Amounts vary by district and shift with available funding. Rebates for weather-based smart irrigation controllers are also common, usually covering part of the purchase price.
One tax caveat is worth checking before you commit to a large project. The IRS has no specific exemption for water conservation rebates, unlike certain energy efficiency incentives. Some water agencies issue 1099 forms for larger rebate amounts, which means the rebate may count as taxable income on your federal return. Confirm the tax treatment with your water agency and a tax advisor before assuming a sizable rebate is free money.