WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Mandatory hours, no set daysVerified Schedule for October 2026

Cal Water East LA watering schedule 2026

California Water Service, East Los Angeles District sets no watering days: water any day, but never 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today

Rules from: California Water Service (Cal Water), East Los Angeles District; Cal Water's tariff Schedule No. 14.1 sets the district rules, and Los Angeles County, Montebello and Monterey Park codes add their own (official schedule )

Cal Water East LA watering days by season

Year-round

Any day
  1. MON
  2. TUE
  3. WED
  4. THU
  5. FRI
  6. SAT
  7. SUN

No set daysTodayEarlier this week

No sprinklers between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

DaysCal Water: no sprinklers between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day (Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.a(i)).
RulesInside Montebello the city code also limits watering to every other day (odd addresses on odd dates, even addresses on even dates), bans it from ten a.m. to one hour before sunset, and caps each station at fifteen minutes (Section 8.29.060).
RulesInside Monterey Park the city bans watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and more than once a day (Ordinance No. 2214).
RulesIn unincorporated East Los Angeles, water no more than once a day (Los Angeles County Code 11.38.630(B)).
RulesNo watering during rain or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
RulesExempt from the hours: drip and micro spray zones, a bucket or a monitored hose with a shut-off nozzle, and adjusting or repairing the system.
How the rule works

Cal Water assigns no watering days in its East Los Angeles District, and it bans sprinklers between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on every day. That daytime ban comes from Cal Water's Stage 1 rules in tariff Schedule No. 14.1 and runs all year. Drip and micro spray zones, hand watering with a shut-off nozzle and short irrigation repairs are exempt from the hours. No watering during rain or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall. In unincorporated East Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Code 11.38.630 also bans watering from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and more than once a day. Cal Water has been in Stage 1 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan since May 8, 2023, and Stage 1 sets no watering days. Homes inside Montebello also follow the city's permanent code: water every other day by odd or even date, never from ten a.m. to one hour before sunset, and no more than fifteen minutes per station (Section 8.29.060). Homes inside Monterey Park also follow its ban on watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

An open envelope with a page of watering days, one day circled in red
Change alerts

Rules change. Get the new Cal Water East LA days and hours by email.

  • We watch the published Cal Water East LA rules for you.
  • When they change, one email with the new rule and the date it starts.
  • Nothing else: a confirmation now, then only emails about these rules.

How many minutes to run sprinklers on each water day

One zone at a time, from the state climate table for Los Angeles and the month you pick. The plan does every zone for every month.

1 What do you water in this zone?
2 What waters this zone?
3 Which month?
October
3 days a week
4 Nozzle brand or soil

Which sprinkler do you have?

Why rain covers it

October asks this zone for about 36 minutes of sprinkler time a week, from the state climate table for Los Angeles. That is less than one run, so the sheet shows none.

Established plantings live on the season's rain. New plantings still want a hand watering in a dry week.

12minper watering day3 days a week in October
Per week
36 min
Zone
Lawn
System
Spray heads, 1.6 in/hr
Every zone, every month, one sheet. The plan prints this for up to four zones, every month, with California Water Service, East Los Angeles District's hours.Get the plan for $19

Cal Water East LA rules and fines

Current stage Cal Water is in Stage 1 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan (tariff Schedule No. 14.1). Its Drought Information and Resources page says the Stage 1 filing took effect on May 8, 2023, subject to a 30-day CPUC review, and that Cal Water customers are currently in Stage 1. Stage 1 aims at a 10 percent cut in water use and sets no watering days unless local ordinances state otherwise. Los Angeles County Code 11.38, Part 4, is standing code text with no stages.

The exceptions include drip irrigation, hand watering and fixing or testing sprinklers, each with its own conditions. The full text is below.

First: a written notice. Then $25 and $50, then a flow-restricting device, on Cal Water service.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Cal Water East LA rules

  • Cal Water's 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban does not apply to zones that use only drip or micro spray irrigation, to watering with a hand-held bucket or container or a continuously monitored hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, or to adjusting or repairing an irrigation system (Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.a(ii)). County Code 11.38.630 prints no such exception to its 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. window.
  • No watering of outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall, which the tariff defines as more than one-quarter inch (Schedule No. 14.1, Sections E.1.c(v) and C.9).
  • No watering more than once a day, and no watering that causes runoff onto adjacent property, walkways, roadways, structures, streets, parking lots or alleys (County Code 11.38.630(B) and (C); Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.c(i)).
  • No hosing down sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking areas or other paved surfaces except for public health and safety (County Code 11.38.620; Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.c(iii)).
  • Hoses used to wash vehicles need a shut-off nozzle, and water features must recirculate (Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.c(ii) and (iv); County Code 11.38.650 and 11.38.670).
  • Leaks, breaks and malfunctions must be repaired within five business days of written notice from Cal Water (Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.b). County Code 11.38.630(D) also requires owners and renters to find and repair leaks in hoses, faucets and sprinklers.
  • Inside Montebello the fifteen minute cap does not apply to very low-flow drip systems with no emitter above two gallons per hour or to weather based controllers or stream rotors that meet a seventy percent efficiency standard (Montebello Municipal Code 8.29.060(B)).

Cal Water East LA fines

  1. 1Cal Water, first violation: written notice of violation. Cal Water may install a real-time water measurement device on the service line and bill its cost (Schedule No. 14.1, Section D.1).
  2. 2Cal Water, second violation: second written notice plus a $25 waste of water penalty in Stage 1 (Section D.2.a(i)). Cal Water may waive it if the customer takes a water use evaluation and agrees to its recommendations (Section D.2.b).
  3. 3Cal Water, third violation: third written notice plus a $50 waste of water penalty in Stage 1 (Section D.3.a(i)), with the same waiver option.
  4. 4Cal Water, fourth violation: fourth notice; Cal Water may install a flow-restricting device on the service line (Section D.4). Removal costs $100 during normal business hours and $150 outside them (Section D.8).
  5. 5Los Angeles County, unincorporated East Los Angeles: a willful violation of the watering rules brings a written warning first, then an infraction with a fine of $500 for each day the violation continues (County Code 11.38.630(E)).

Report water waste

Cal Water's online Report Water Waste form, linked from its Report Leaks and Waste page, or call the East Los Angeles District at (323) 722-8601, which is also the after-hours number.

Here a penalty starts at $25, after a written notice, on Cal Water service. The personal watering plan prints the minutes for every zone, every month, with the hours, for $19 once. See the plan

Cal Water East LA watering questions

Does Cal Water assign watering days in East Los Angeles?

No. Cal Water's Stage 1 rules set no watering days unless a local ordinance says otherwise, and its watering page lists no East Los Angeles ordinance with days. Los Angeles County Code 11.38.630 sets hours and a once-a-day limit for the unincorporated area, not days. Inside Montebello, though, the city's permanent code limits watering to every other day: odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered dates and even-numbered addresses on even-numbered dates (Section 8.29.060(A)).

What hours are sprinklers banned on Cal Water service in East LA?

From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on every day of the year, under Cal Water's tariff Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.a(i). The County's own ban, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Code 11.38.630(A), falls inside that window. Inside Montebello the city also bans watering from ten a.m. to one hour before sunset (Section 8.29.060(A)), and both bans apply there.

Can I use drip or a hose with a shut-off nozzle during the day in East LA?

Cal Water's daytime ban does not cover zones that use only drip or micro spray irrigation, watering with a hand-held bucket or a continuously monitored hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, or adjusting and repairing an irrigation system (Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.a(ii)). The County's 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rule in Section 11.38.630 prints no such exception.

How long after rain must Cal Water East Los Angeles customers wait to water?

48 hours. Schedule No. 14.1, Section E.1.c(v), bans watering outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall, which the tariff defines as more than one-quarter inch of precipitation.

What are the fines for wasting water on Cal Water service in East Los Angeles?

Under Schedule No. 14.1, Section D, a first violation brings a written notice and possibly a real-time meter device billed to the customer. A second adds a $25 penalty and a third a $50 penalty, both of which Cal Water may waive after a water use evaluation. A fourth can bring a flow-restricting device, which costs $100 to remove in business hours. Separately, County Code 11.38.630(E) gives a written warning and then a $500 fine for each day of a willful violation in the unincorporated area.

My Cal Water home is in Montebello or Monterey Park. Do other rules apply?

Yes. Montebello Municipal Code 8.29.050 applies its rules to anyone using potable water from any purveyor in the city: water only every other day, odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered dates and even-numbered addresses on even-numbered dates, never from ten a.m. to one hour before sunset, and no more than fifteen minutes per station for an unattended system. Monterey Park Ordinance No. 2214 bans watering from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and more than once a day. Cal Water's 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban applies in both cities too.

Is my home a Cal Water East Los Angeles customer?

Cal Water's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan says the district serves a large part of unincorporated East Los Angeles and parts of Montebello, Commerce, Vernon and Monterey Park. Cal Water also operates the City of Commerce water system under contract, and nearby areas are served by San Gabriel Valley Water Company, the South Montebello Irrigation District and city utilities. Check the name on the water bill.

How do I report water waste to Cal Water in East Los Angeles?

Use Cal Water's online Report Water Waste form, linked from its Report Leaks and Waste page, or call the East Los Angeles District at (323) 722-8601, which also takes after-hours calls.

Sources and verification

Rules checked October 2026. The schedule is watched for changes and updated when the supplier changes it.

Water supplier: California Water Service (Cal Water), East Los Angeles District; Cal Water's tariff Schedule No. 14.1 sets the district rules, and Los Angeles County, Montebello and Monterey Park codes add their own (official schedule )

All 11 sources

Nearby water suppliers

Los AngelesLos Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)Mandatory: 3 days/week by last digit of address, year-roundCity water
San Gabriel Valley WaterSan Gabriel Valley Water CompanyNo assigned days or hours; year-round waste bans under Rule No. 14.1Private utility
PasadenaPasadena Water and Power (PWP)Mandatory: 2 days/week by address parity (Apr-Oct), 1 day/week Nov-MarCity water
Golden State Water SouthwestGolden State Water Company (Southwest)No set days; address-based days and night hours recommendedPrivate utility
Suburban Water SystemsSuburban Water SystemsMandatory: 3 days/week year-round by even or odd address, never 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.City water
BurbankBurbank Water and PowerMandatory: 2 days/week (Apr-Oct); Saturday only (Nov-Mar), all addressesCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.