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

Contra Costa (CCWD) watering schedule 2026

Contra Costa Water District sets no watering days: water any day, but never 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Today

Rules from: Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) (official schedule )

Contra Costa (CCWD) 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 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on any day.

DaysNo outdoor landscape watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Water before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. (Code of Regulations 5.44.010(E)).
RulesNo watering during rain or for 48 hours after measurable rainfall (5.44.010(D)).
RulesNo runoff onto sidewalks, streets or neighbors, and no hosing down driveways or patios unless needed for health and safety.
RulesNo minute limit per station and no assigned days.
RulesNo drought stage is named today; the permanent rules apply all year.
How the rule works

Contra Costa Water District does not assign watering days. Its permanent rules, in Code of Regulations Section 5.44.010, ban watering outdoor landscapes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on every day of the year, so water before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Watering during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall is also banned. There is no limit on minutes per station. The code lists no hand watering or drip exemption from the hours; CCWD can grant a written exception for undue hardship. CCWD's pages name no drought stage today. The Board ended the temporary drought surcharge on April 5, 2023, and the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan says no annual assessment since 2022 has found a shortage.

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

Rules change. Get the new Contra Costa (CCWD) days and hours by email.

  • We watch the published Contra Costa (CCWD) 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 Concord 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 33 minutes of sprinkler time a week, from the state climate table for Concord. 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.

11minper watering day3 days a week in October
Per week
33 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 Contra Costa Water District (CCWD)'s hours.Get the plan for $19

Rules and fines in Contra Costa (CCWD)

Current stage No shortage stage is named on CCWD's current pages, and the permanent Code of Regulations Section 5.44.010 prohibitions apply year-round. History: Ordinance 22-01, adopted in June 2022, activated Stage 2 of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan with a temporary drought surcharge. On April 5, 2023 the Board adopted Resolution 23-015, which ended the surcharge and suspended the temporary drought prohibitions on new-home irrigation, restaurant water, hotel linens and dust control. The 2025 Urban Water Management Plan states that no annual assessment since 2022 has identified a shortage. Stage 2 never added watering days or hours.

A written exception can be requested. The full text is below.

First: up to $250. Then up to $500, then up to $10 more per unit of water used, though CCWD may warn first.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Contra Costa (CCWD) rules

  • No watering of outdoor landscapes during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall (5.44.010(D)).
  • No watering that causes excessive runoff onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures, and no excessive run-off from the premises (5.44.010(B) and (C)).
  • Repair leaks in the customer's water system (5.44.010(A)).
  • No washing of driveways, sidewalks, parking areas, patios or other outdoor areas unless not washing would create a hazard to health and safety (5.44.010(G)).
  • A hose used to wash a motor vehicle needs a shut-off nozzle or device that stops the water when not in use (5.44.010(F)).
  • No potable water in non-recirculating fountains or decorative water features, and no potable water on ornamental turf in public street medians (5.44.010(H) and (I)).
  • Landscapes outside newly constructed homes and buildings must be irrigated consistent with state building standards (5.44.010(J)).
  • Commercial, industrial and institutional sites may not irrigate non-functional turf with potable water under the State Board rules; CCWD's turf ban page says lawns at private residences are exempt.
  • A customer can apply in writing for an exception to, or waiver from, any of these prohibitions; CCWD can grant it for undue hardship or to comply with a state or federal permit. A denial can be appealed in writing to the General Manager (5.44.010).
  • The General Manager can add to the prohibitions, or suspend enforcement of one, as supply conditions or state actions require (5.44.010).

Fines in Contra Costa (CCWD)

  1. 1First offense: an administrative fine of not more than $250 (Code of Regulations 5.44.010; Ordinance 16-01, paragraph 6). CCWD may give a warning first, at its discretion.
  2. 2Second offense: an administrative fine of not more than $500 (5.44.010).
  3. 3Each fine can carry an added penalty of up to $10 per unit of water used or applied, and each day a violation exists is a separate offense (5.44.010).
  4. 4If a customer does not stop the waste, CCWD may suspend water delivery or install a flow-restricting device; CCWD determinations can be appealed in writing to the General Manager (5.44.010).
  5. 5CCWD's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan says financial penalties can be applied for repeated offenses, but CCWD generally uses notification and education.

Report water waste

CCWD's online contact form (Customer Service form, topic "Report a leak or water waste"), with an optional photo. For a leak in the street or a broken fire hydrant, call 925-688-8374.

Here a first penalty can be up to $250, though CCWD may warn first. The personal watering plan prints the minutes for every zone, every month, with the hours, for $19 once. See the plan

Contra Costa (CCWD) watering questions

Does CCWD assign watering days by address?

No. Contra Costa Water District's permanent rules in Code of Regulations Section 5.44.010 set no watering days and no even or odd address split. They limit the clock instead: no outdoor landscape watering between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., on any day of the week.

Can I hand water or run drip between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in CCWD's area?

Section 5.44.010(E) bans watering outdoor landscapes between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and prints no exemption for hand watering, drip or new plantings. The only relief in the code is a written application for an exception or waiver, which CCWD can grant for undue hardship or to comply with a state or federal permit. Ask CCWD before relying on daytime watering.

How long after rain must CCWD customers wait to water?

Section 5.44.010(D) bans watering of outdoor landscapes during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall. CCWD's Water Use Prohibitions page lists the same rule, and it applies all year.

What is the fine for breaking CCWD's watering rules?

Under Section 5.44.010 and Ordinance 16-01, a first offense carries an administrative fine of not more than $250 and a second offense not more than $500. Each fine can come with an added penalty of up to $10 per unit of water used, and each day a violation exists counts as a separate offense. CCWD may warn first, and its 2025 water plan says it generally uses notification and education. If waste continues, CCWD can install a flow restrictor or suspend delivery.

Is CCWD in a drought stage right now?

CCWD's current pages name no shortage stage. Ordinance 22-01 put Stage 2 in effect in June 2022 with a temporary drought surcharge. On April 5, 2023 the Board adopted Resolution 23-015 to end the surcharge and suspended most of the extra drought prohibitions. The 2025 Urban Water Management Plan says no annual assessment since 2022 has found a shortage. The permanent hour and rain rules apply in every case.

Does CCWD publish a suggested watering schedule?

Yes, as advice only. CCWD's Lawn and Landscape Watering Schedule suggests watering days per week by month and run times by sprinkler type, with three short cycles per night for clay soil. It says lawns can thrive in peak summer with three to four days per week. These are suggestions, not rules; the rule is the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ban.

Is my home a CCWD customer?

CCWD's Service Area Map lists its treated water cities: Clayton, Clyde, Concord, Pacheco, Port Costa, and parts of Martinez, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Antioch, Pittsburg, Martinez and Brentwood run their own city systems, Diablo Water District serves Oakley, and Golden State Water Company serves Bay Point. EBMUD's service area reaches east to Walnut Creek. In the split cities, check the name on your water bill.

How do I report water waste to CCWD?

Use CCWD's online contact form and choose "Report a leak or water waste"; a photo can be attached. CCWD opens a case and contacts the party responsible for the property. For a leak in the street or a broken fire hydrant, call 925-688-8374.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) (official schedule )

All 13 sources

Nearby water suppliers

East Bay (EBMUD)East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)No assigned days; year-round waste-conduct rules onlyWater district
San FranciscoSan Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)No assigned days; year-round waste rules, one narrow hours provisionCity water
FremontAlameda County Water District (ACWD)No assigned days and no hours; year-round waste rules onlyWater district
San JoseSan Jose Water Company (SJWC)No set days; in San Jose no sprinklers 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., 15 minutes per stationPrivate utility
San Jose Muni WaterSan José Municipal Water System (Muni Water)No assigned days; irrigate before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.; 15 minutes per stationCity water
Santa RosaSanta Rosa Water (City of Santa Rosa)No assigned days or hours; year-round waste rules onlyCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.