WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
No set daysVerified Schedule for October 2026

Coachella Valley (CVWD) watering schedule 2026

Coachella Valley Water District sets no watering days and no hours: water any day, at any hour.

Today

Rules from: Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) (official schedule )

Coachella Valley (CVWD) 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 set hours in this season.

DaysNo assigned days, no watering hours and no minute limit at Level 1.
RulesNo spray irrigation during rain or within 48 hours after rainfall of 0.10 inches.
RulesNo runoff onto walkways, roadways, parking lots or a neighbor's property.
RulesNo hosing down driveways, sidewalks, concrete or asphalt except for health and safety.
RulesFix broken sprinklers within five business days of CVWD's notice.
How the rule works

Coachella Valley Water District sets no watering days, no watering hours and no minute limit: no even or odd address rule and no days-per-week cap. The rules in force are the Shortage Level 1 actions of its 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan, adopted May 27, 2026, and they ban waste instead. Spray irrigation is prohibited during and within 48 hours after rainfall of 0.10 inches. Runoff onto walkways, roadways or a neighbor's property is prohibited, and so is hosing down driveways and sidewalks. Broken sprinklers must be fixed within five business days of CVWD's notice. Level 1 is the level for normal water supplies. Hour limits start only at Level 2 and set days only at Level 3.

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

Rules change. Get the new Coachella Valley (CVWD) days and hours by email.

  • We watch the published Coachella Valley (CVWD) 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 Palm Desert 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 48 minutes of sprinkler time a week, from the state climate table for Palm Desert. 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.

16minper watering day3 days a week in October
Per week
48 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.Get the plan for $19

Rules and fines in Coachella Valley (CVWD)

Current stage Level 1 of CVWD's 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan, the level for normal water supplies. The Water Saving Guidelines page posts the Shortage Level 1 Demand Reduction Actions as the rules in force. CVWD moved to Level 2 by Resolution 2022-28 on June 14, 2022, and on April 11, 2023 rescinded the drought volumetric penalties of Ordinance 1422.7. CVWD's current pages do not print the date of the Board action that returned it to Level 1, so no date is given here. The 2025 plan was adopted on May 27, 2026.

There are no watering days or hours to make exceptions to; the full text below lists what applies.

First: a notice of noncompliance for each of the first five violations. Then $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000 and $2,000 within a rolling 12 months.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Coachella Valley (CVWD) rules

  • Spray irrigation of outdoor landscapes is prohibited during and within 48 hours after rainfall of 0.10 inches (WSCP Table 4, action 1.4; Water Saving Guidelines page). The rule names spray irrigation only.
  • No water on outdoor landscapes that causes runoff onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures (action 1.1).
  • No water on driveways, sidewalks, concrete or asphalt unless to address immediate health and safety needs; reasonable pressure washer or water broom use is permitted (action 1.3).
  • Fountains and other decorative water features must recirculate their water (action 1.2).
  • Washing a vehicle, windows or solar panels with a hose needs an automatic shut-off nozzle or a pressure washer (action 1.5).
  • Broken sprinklers must be repaired within five business days of notification by CVWD, and leaks as soon as practical (action 1.6). CVWD's Landscape Ordinance, Section 3.15.040, as quoted in the 2025 RUWMP, says all broken heads and pipes must be repaired within 72 hours of notification.
  • Discouraged, not prohibited: overseeding, and draining and refilling a private swimming pool unless needed for health and safety or leak repair (actions 1.7 and 1.9).
  • A written notice of a violation can be contested: the water user has seven days from receipt of the notice to request a hearing in writing (WSCP Section 7.2).

Fines in Coachella Valley (CVWD)

  1. 1First three violations: a notice of noncompliance each (2025 WSCP, Section 7.1, Table 6, Levels 1 to 6).
  2. 2Fourth and fifth violations within a rolling 12 months: a notice of noncompliance each (Table 6).
  3. 3Subsequent violations: a $50 fine, followed by $100, $200, $500, $1,000 and $2,000 fines (Table 6).
  4. 4For more than six violations in a rolling twelve months, the General Manager may start steps to end water service, seek a court order, or limit service with a flow restricting device (Table 6).
  5. 5CVWD's Water Saving Guidelines page states it more briefly: after three violations, customers may be subject to fines on their bill, ranging from $50 to $2000.

Report water waste

CVWD's online Report Water Waste form (cvwd.org/waterwaste), or call (760) 398-2661, extension 2174 (Report Water Waste form page). The form asks for the address, the type of problem and a description; photos are optional.

Here a penalty starts at $50, after a notice of noncompliance for each of the first five violations. The personal watering plan prints the minutes for every zone, every month, for $19 once. See the plan

Coachella Valley (CVWD) watering questions

Does CVWD assign watering days or hours?

No. CVWD's Irrigation Restrictions FAQ says there are no restrictions on what days you water, how many times a day you water, or how long sprinklers run. Under the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan, limits on time of day start at Level 2 and set days start at Level 3. CVWD is at Level 1.

How long after rain do I have to wait to run sprinklers in the Coachella Valley?

Spray irrigation of outdoor landscapes is prohibited during and within 48 hours after rainfall of 0.10 inches (CVWD WSCP Table 4, action 1.4, also on the Water Saving Guidelines page). The rule names spray irrigation. CVWD's Watering Guide adds advice: when there is measurable rain, turn the system off until the ground has dried.

What water uses does CVWD prohibit at Level 1?

Runoff from landscape watering onto adjacent property, walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures; water on driveways, sidewalks, concrete or asphalt except for immediate health and safety needs; fountains that do not recirculate; and washing a car, windows or solar panels with a hose that has no automatic shut-off nozzle (WSCP Table 4, actions 1.1 to 1.5).

How fast must I fix a broken sprinkler on a CVWD account?

The Water Saving Guidelines page and WSCP action 1.6 give five business days from CVWD's notification, and leaks as soon as practical. CVWD's Landscape Ordinance, Section 3.15.040, as quoted in the 2025 regional water plan, says all broken heads and pipes must be repaired within 72 hours of notification, the shorter of the two times.

What are CVWD's fines for wasting water?

Table 6 of the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan lists a notice of noncompliance for each of the first five violations within a rolling 12 months, then fines of $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000 and $2,000. After more than six violations, the General Manager can limit or end water service. CVWD's Water Saving Guidelines page says fines can start after three violations. A notice can be contested by a written hearing request within seven days.

Is the CVWD Watering Guide a rule I have to follow?

No. The Watering Guide is a table of the approximate water that shrubs, trees and turf typically need each month, with suggested run times. CVWD presents it as a guide and says individual watering times vary with soil and other conditions. Only the waste rules of Level 1 are enforced.

Is my home a CVWD customer, or another valley water agency's?

CVWD serves all or part of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, plus unincorporated Riverside County. Coachella Water Authority, Desert Water Agency, Indio Water Authority, Mission Springs Water District and Myoma Dunes Mutual Water Company serve other parts of the valley under their own plans. Check the name on the water bill.

How do I report water waste to CVWD?

Use the Report Water Waste form at cvwd.org/waterwaste, or call (760) 398-2661, extension 2174. The form asks for the address, the type of problem, such as runoff or a broken sprinkler, and a description, and it takes up to three photos. CVWD says its staff investigate every report.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) (official schedule )

All 7 sources

Nearby water suppliers

Rancho Water (Temecula)Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water)No assigned days; irrigate only 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.; none within 48 hours after rainWater district
Eastern Municipal (EMWD)Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD)Any day, only 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.; 15 minutes per stationWater district
San BernardinoSan Bernardino Municipal Water Department (SBMWD)Mandatory: 3 days/week year-round: Monday, Wednesday and FridayCity water
RiversideRiverside Public UtilitiesNo set days; 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. is advice, waste bans enforcedCity water
Fontana Water CompanyFontana Water Company (San Gabriel Valley Water Company)No assigned days or hours; Rule 14.1 waste bans apply all yearPrivate utility
CoronaCity of Corona Utilities DepartmentMandatory: 3 days/week by address, year-round; no watering on FridaysCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.