Chula Vista watering schedule 2026

Exceptions to the Chula Vista rules

• New lawns: the sprinkler hours guidance does not apply 'for the first thirty (30) days necessary to establish a new lawn.' The public page prints this as a 30 day grace period for customers establishing new lawns.
• Hardscape washing: Drought Response Plan Section 7(A)(1) permits hosing off sidewalks, driveways or other hardscapes 'where necessary to address an immediate health and safety need or to comply with a term or condition in a permit issued by a State or federal agency.' The public Water Waste Prohibitions page prints a shorter version of the same carve out, 'except as necessary for immediate safety or sanitary hazards.'
• Drip and hand watering: customers 'are encouraged to use drip methods or hand irrigation whenever possible and prudent to water landscaped areas, including trees and shrubs that are not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system.' These methods are encouraged rather than restricted.
• Nozzle type carve out for the ten minute per station rule at Level 2 and Level 3 only: the cap 'does not apply to landscape irrigation systems using water efficient devices, including but not limited to weather-based controllers, drip/micro-irrigation systems and stream rotor sprinklers.' Level 4 measure 6 writes the same ten minute cap with no carve out at all, and the Level 4 preamble replaces conflicting lower level language, so a Level 4 declaration would remove this carve out.
• Alternate water sources: 'The provisions of this Drought Response Plan do not apply to use of water from private wells or other approved alternate water sources including, but not limited to grey water and rain water catchment systems.'
• Pools, ornamental lakes and ponds: at Level 2, customers 'are encouraged to stop filling or re-filling pools, ornamental lakes and/or ponds, except to the extent needed to sustain aquatic life.' At Level 3 the same measure adds a qualifier: 'except to the extent needed to sustain aquatic life, provided that such animals are of significant value and have been actively managed within the water feature prior to declaration of a drought response level under this ordinance.'
• Vehicle washing: allowed with a hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle. At Level 4 customers 'shall stop hand-washing vehicles' and are encouraged to stop washing vehicles 'except at commercial carwashes that re-circulate (reclaim) water onsite, or by high pressure/low volume wash systems.'
• Level 5 and Level 6 carve outs from the total irrigation stop: crops and landscape products of commercial growers and nurseries; existing landscaping necessary for fire protection as specified by the fire marshal of the local fire protection agency; existing landscaping for erosion control; plant materials identified as rare or essential to the well-being of rare animals; landscaping within active public parks and playing fields, day care centers, school grounds, cemeteries and golf course greens, provided such irrigation 'does not exceed two (2) days per week'; watering of livestock; public works projects and actively irrigated environmental mitigation projects.
• Penalty exemptions at Levels 2 through 4 (not day rules): residential water use at or below 28 HCF in the bi-monthly billing periods for bills received in July, August, September and October and 22 HCF for all other months during Level 2; at or below 17 HCF bi-monthly during Level 3; at or below 11 HCF bi-monthly during Level 4; accounts related to a medical nature; and commercial establishments offering services that allow individuals alternative means for completing water dependent tasks.
• Appeals: a Target Water Allocation appeal may be filed at any time, and a penalty appeal within two (2) weeks of receipt of the bi-monthly or monthly bill, in writing on the appeal form filed with the General Manager or designee, with a further written appeal to the Governing Board within seven (7) days of receipt of the written decision.
• Sweetwater Authority publishes no exception for hot days, heat waves, edible or vegetable gardens, potted plants, or smart controller enrollment.

Fines in Chula Vista

1. 1First violation of any prohibition: written warning
2. 2Second violation of any prohibition within one (1) year: $50
3. 3Third violation of any prohibition within one (1) year: $100
4. 4Fourth violation of any prohibition within one (1) year: $200
5. 5Each violation thereafter of any prohibition within one (1) year: $500
6. 6Any violation occurring more than one (1) year from the previous one is treated as a first violation
7. 7Each day that a violation of a prohibited water conservation measure occurs is a separate offense
8. 8Separate ladder for exceeding a Target Water Allocation, which applies only at Level 2 and above: first and second allocation overage violation written warning; third within one year $100; fourth within one year $200; each thereafter within one year $500. Customers are notified of an overage and given one (1) full billing cycle to bring usage below the allocation.
9. 9If the Governing Board activates mandatory water use reductions by resolution, a willful violation 'may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than thirty (30) days or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000 -U.S.A. currency), or by both, as provided in California Water Code Section 377'
10. 10Willful violations of mandatory conservation measures may also be enforced by discontinuing service to the property at which the violation occurs, as provided by California Water Code Section 356 et seq.
11. 11Rates and Rules effective 01/01/2026, Section 15.5, separately allows the Governing Board acting through its General Manager 'to apply such penalties as may be provided by law, or to take any other action as deemed appropriate, including but not limited to, the discontinuance of potable water service.'
12. 12At the current Level 1 condition, the fine ladder reaches the state water waste prohibitions. Section 9 of the Drought Response Plan opens 'Any customer who violates a state water waste prohibition at any time, and/or uses, causes to be used, or permits the use of water in violation of this Drought Response Plan during a Level 2 ... condition ... is guilty of an offense punishable as provided.' The advisory three days per week and 6:00 pm to 9:00 am guidance carries no fine.

Report water waste

Online "Report Water Waste" form at https://www.sweetwater.org/FormCenter/For-Customers-7/Report-Water-Waste-60, or by phone at (619) 420-1413. The separate Water Efficiency Helpline is (619) 409-6779.