In Manteca, watering days are assigned by the last digit of your street address. Even-numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) may run sprinklers on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) may water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. No address may water on Monday, and no outdoor irrigation is allowed between noon and 6:00 p.m. on any day.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water?
This is the standard three-day-per-week schedule the city returned to in October 2023, after a stricter two-day cap that ran during the 2022 drought declaration.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water?
Hours You Cannot Water
Even on your assigned day, sprinklers and irrigation systems cannot operate between noon and 6:00 p.m.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water? Any time outside that window on a permitted day is fair game.
When Rain Cancels Your Watering Day
Outdoor irrigation is prohibited during measurable rainfall and for 48 hours afterward. The city defines measurable rainfall as any amount that produces runoff or puddles.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water? If your controller runs on a timer, shut it off manually or install a rain sensor. A storm on Friday means your odd-address Sunday slot is off the table too.
Who Is Exempt From the Schedule
A few situations sit outside the odd/even day rule and the afternoon blackout.
Drip and Micro-Spray Systems
Landscape irrigation running exclusively through drip or micro-spray systems can operate any day of the week.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water? If your setup mixes drip lines with conventional sprinkler heads, only the drip zones qualify. The sprinkler zones still follow the standard schedule.
New Landscaping
Newly installed landscaping is exempt from both the day and time restrictions for the first 30 days after installation.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water?
Large and Public Properties
The Manteca public golf course, city parks, the City Hall complex, and Manteca Unified School District landscapes are exempt from the standard schedule. Private parks and other landscaped areas larger than four acres also qualify.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water?
Other Rules You Can Still Be Cited For
The schedule is only part of the ordinance. Water cannot be allowed to flow off your property into a gutter or drainage area, whether the cause is a misaimed sprinkler head or oversaturated soil.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water? A stream running down the curb during your cycle is a citeable violation, even on your assigned day and outside the restricted hours.
Hosing down driveways, sidewalks, patios, parking lots, and other hard surfaces is prohibited at any time on any day. Vehicle and boat washing is allowed on any day, but only with a quick-acting shut-off nozzle on the hose, or with a bucket and sponge.1City of Manteca. When Can I Water?
Fines for Watering on the Wrong Day
Manteca uses a progressive penalty system that resets each calendar year:1City of Manteca. When Can I Water?
- First violation: written notice, no fine.
- Second violation: $100 plus applicable fees. The fine can be waived by attending the city’s Water Conservation Seminar.
- Third violation: $200 plus applicable fees.
- Any further violation: $500 plus applicable fees.
The seminar waiver on a second offense is worth remembering if a broken timer or forgotten controller trips you up.
If Drought Rules Return
The three-day schedule is the current baseline, but the city can tighten it. Under the Stage 2 water shortage declaration adopted by the City Council in June 2022, watering dropped from three days a week to two: even addresses on Tuesday and Saturday, odd addresses on Wednesday and Sunday, with Thursday and Friday added to Monday as no-watering days. Stage 2 also barred non-residential properties from watering ornamental grass at all.2City of Manteca. City of Manteca Adopts Stage 2 Water Shortage Declaration A future declaration could reinstate similar limits, so check the city’s water page before assuming the standard rules still apply after a dry stretch.
Turf Replacement Rebate
If a three-day cap on a thirsty lawn is not sustainable, the city’s Lawn-to-Garden program pays $1.00 per square foot to replace grass with drought-tolerant landscaping, up to $650 for residential properties. Commercial properties can cover up to 5,000 square feet. The rebate applies only to front yards and parkways, and the design must be approved before you remove any grass. Tearing out the lawn first disqualifies you from the incentive entirely.3City of Manteca. Current City Rebates