WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Mandatory scheduleVerified Schedule for October 2026

Ceres watering schedule 2026

City of Ceres customers water by house number: odd numbers Wednesday and Sunday, even numbers Tuesday and Saturday. Never noon to 7 p.m.

Today
Odd addresses
Even addresses

Rules from: City of Ceres Public Works Department (official schedule )

Ceres watering days by season

Year-round

Two days a week
  1. MON
  2. TUE
  3. WED
  4. THU
  5. FRI
  6. SAT
  7. SUN

Odd house numbersEven house numbersTodayEarlier this week

No sprinklers between noon and 7 p.m. on any day.

HoursNo outdoor watering between noon and 7 p.m. No watering on Monday, Thursday or Friday (city rules handout, p. 1).
Off seasonThe current city page and handout publish the same two-day pattern throughout the year.
How the rule works

City of Ceres water customers have two assigned days year-round: even addresses Tuesday and Saturday; odd addresses Wednesday and Sunday. No outdoor watering occurs from noon to 7 p.m. The city's Water Conservation page and rules handout publish this Stage II pattern. The October 2022 Water Shortage Contingency Plan uses a different numbered-level system, so the posted Stage 2 label should not be read as modern shortage level 2.

Odd numbers shown until you type yours.

Free printable calendar

Your Ceres watering days on one page. Free.

  • One page for the fridge or the garage door
  • The days for the whole year
  • An email when the schedule changes, if you want it

No account. One click to stop the emails. Your house number stays in your browser. How we keep your email

How many minutes to run sprinklers on each water day

One zone at a time, from the state climate table for Ceres 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
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 Ceres. 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.

18minper watering day2 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 with City of Ceres's days above.Get the plan for $19

Rules and fines in Ceres

Current stage The current conservation page labels its two-day pattern Drought Stage 2. The October 2022 Water Shortage Contingency Plan calls the existing pattern Stage II and maps that legacy stage to newer shortage levels 3 through 5 (Table 4-2, p. 8; section 5.2, p. 9). A current declaration selecting one of those newer levels was not found.

The exceptions include fixing or testing sprinklers, with conditions. A written exception can also be requested. The full text is below.

First: a warning. Then $20, $100, $250 and $500 within one calendar year from the warning.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Ceres rules

  • The city accepts exemption requests for health and safety, irrigation installation, testing or maintenance, and essential livelihood uses such as contractor work. Its current conservation page specifically excludes new sod and seedlings from exemptions.
  • Car washing is restricted to the assigned days and hours using a bucket or a hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle. Pool filling follows the assigned days and hours (Water Conservation Rules handout, p. 1).
  • Hardscape washing needs consent from Public Works. Irrigation runoff must not continue for more than five minutes, and leaks must be repaired within 24 hours of discovery (Water Conservation Rules handout, p. 1).
  • The current handout prohibits irrigation while raining or after rain but does not specify an elapsed-hour interval (Water Conservation Rules handout, p. 1).

Fines in Ceres

  1. 1The Water Conservation page and rules handout, p. 1, list a warning, then $20, $100, $250 and $500. Each further violation is $500.
  2. 2The city describes the counting period as one calendar year from the warning notice. The handout provides ten days to appeal a citation.

Report water waste

Report Ceres water waste to Public Works at 209-538-5732 (Water Conservation page). The city utility FAQ lists 209-538-5757 for retail utility billing and 209-538-5712 for after-hours water emergencies.

Here a penalty starts at $20, after a warning. The personal watering plan prints your days and the minutes for every zone, every month, for $19 once. See the plan

Ceres watering questions

Does Ceres have a confirmed per-station sprinkler limit?

The October 2022 WSCP, Table 5-2, p. 12, lists a level-3 limit of 10 minutes per day for sprinklers. It does not say per station. The current handout omits the limit, and a current numbered-level declaration was not found. Treat the cap's present application as unresolved.

What does Ceres mean by Stage 2 on its conservation page?

The posted calendar uses the older Stage II pattern. The October 2022 WSCP, Table 4-2, p. 8, maps that stage to newer shortage levels 3 through 5. The page's label alone does not identify which of those newer levels is currently declared.

Does Ceres grant an exemption for newly laid sod?

The city's Water Conservation page specifically excludes new sod and seedlings from its exemption program. It accepts requests for health and safety, irrigation work and certain essential livelihood uses, including contractor work.

What does Ceres publish about watering after rain?

The current Water Conservation Rules handout, p. 1, prohibits irrigation while raining or after rain. It does not provide a number of hours to wait. A specific 48-hour interval was not confirmed in that source.

What are Ceres' published water-waste penalties?

The current conservation page and handout list a warning, followed by $20, $100, $250 and $500, with $500 for further violations. The city counts these within what it calls one calendar year from the warning. The handout gives ten days to appeal.

Can Ceres customers wash cars outside their watering schedule?

The rules handout, p. 1, limits car washing to the address's assigned days and hours and requires a bucket or an automatic shutoff hose nozzle. It also limits pool filling to those days and hours.

Where do I report Ceres water waste, and does Walnut Manor use this schedule?

City of Ceres reports go to 209-538-5732, as listed on its conservation page. Modesto's own schedule identifies Ceres Walnut Manor as a Modesto outlying system. Use the supplier on the bill to choose the reporting agency and rules.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: City of Ceres Public Works Department (official schedule )

All 5 sources

Nearby water suppliers

ModestoCity of ModestoMandatory: 3 days/week from April through October; 2 days/week from November through MarchCity water
TurlockCity of TurlockMandatory: 2 days/week (Mar-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Feb)City water
RiponCity of RiponMandatory: 3 days/week (Mar-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Feb)City water
StocktonCity of Stockton Municipal Utilities DepartmentMandatory: 2 days/week by address number on city water; no set days on Cal WaterCity water
MercedCity of MercedMandatory: 3 assigned days/week year-round; no ordinary Monday wateringCity water
MaderaCity of MaderaMandatory: 3 days/week by address, year-round; never 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or on MondayCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.