WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Recommended patternVerified Schedule for October 2026

Golden State Water Southwest watering schedule 2026

Golden State Water Company sets no required watering days. Recommended by house number: odd numbers Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, even numbers Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Recommended hours: water between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Today
Odd addresses
Even addresses

Rules from: Golden State Water Company, Southwest Customer Service Area (an investor-owned utility regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission; rules set by its CPUC tariffs Schedule No. 14.1 and Rule No. 14.1) (official schedule )

Golden State Water Southwest watering days by season

Year-round recommended pattern

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

Odd house numbersEven house numbersTodayEarlier this week

No set hours in this season.

HoursRecommended: water only between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Off seasonThe same recommended pattern runs all year. Mandatory at all times: no watering during rain or for 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
How the rule works

Golden State Water's Southwest system sets no mandatory watering days or hours today. It recommends watering only between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m., with even-numbered addresses on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and odd-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This pattern has applied all year since May 14, 2023, when Advice Letter No. 1896-W moved Southwest to Stage 1, a Water Alert with voluntary conservation. The waste bans in Rule No. 14.1, Section B always apply, including no watering during rain or for 48 hours after measurable rainfall of 0.1 inch or more. Under the company's CPUC tariff Schedule No. 14.1, day and hour limits become mandatory only if Stage 2 or higher is activated.

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

Rules change. Get the new Golden State Water Southwest days and hours by email.

  • We watch the published Golden State Water Southwest 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 Torrance 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 Torrance. 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.Get the plan for $19

Golden State Water Southwest rules and fines

Current stage Stage 1 of Schedule No. 14.1, a Water Alert with voluntary conservation, since May 14, 2023. Advice Letter No. 1896-W moved every Golden State Water customer service area except Nipomo, Cypress Ridge and Edna Road from Stage 2 to Stage 1, effective May 14, 2023 after review by the CPUC Water Division, and the Southwest page dates its current watering guidance to that same day. Schedule No. 14.1 keeps the active stage until a Tier 2 advice letter activates another, and no later stage filing appears in the company's advice letter list. The Southwest page recommends the 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. hours and the address days below.

The exceptions include drip irrigation and food gardens, each with its own conditions. A written exception can also be requested. The full text is below.

No dollar fine for the recommended days or hours.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Golden State Water Southwest rules

  • Rain, always in force: no watering of outside plants, lawn, landscape or turf during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall of 0.1 inch or more (Rule No. 14.1, B.9; Schedule No. 14.1, C.e). Rule No. 14.1, D.2 makes the Section B bans always mandatory.
  • No watering that causes runoff onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures (Rule No. 14.1, B.3).
  • No hosing of buildings, sidewalks, walkways, patios or other hard surfaces with drinking water, except to protect public health and safety (Rule No. 14.1, B.5).
  • A hose used to wash a vehicle needs a shut-off nozzle or device (Rule No. 14.1, B.4). Fountains and decorative water features must recirculate (Rule No. 14.1, B.7; Schedule No. 14.1, C.d).
  • Leaks, breaks or malfunctions must be fixed within 48 hours of notice from the utility, or service can be shut off under Rule No. 11 (Rule No. 14.1, B.2).
  • Trees and edible plants watered only by drip or micro spray are exempt from the outdoor irrigation restriction (Schedule No. 14.1, C.n).
  • A customer who seeks a variance from any provision of the conservation plan writes to the utility explaining the reason; the utility answers in writing (Schedule No. 14.1, Section G; Rule No. 14.1, Section E).
  • Drinking water may not irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, industrial and institutional sites (Rule No. 14.1, B.8).

Golden State Water Southwest fines

  1. 1No dollar fine for the recommended days or hours. Golden State Water is an investor-owned utility and cannot pass ordinances with penalties (2025 Urban Water Management Plan, Section 8.4.7).
  2. 2Step 1, written notice: before a shutoff for wasteful use of water, such as breaking the always-mandatory waste bans of Rule No. 14.1, Section B, the utility must give the customer written notice (Rule No. 11, Sections B.2 and B.3.a).
  3. 3Step 2, shutoff: the utility may discontinue service if negligent or wasteful use is not remedied within 48 hours after that notice (Rule No. 11, B.3.a), or after at least five days' written notice for a violation of its rules (B.2). No dollar amount is attached.
  4. 4Enforcement tool in the tariff: after one written warning, the utility may install a flow-restricting device on a customer seen wasting water, but only when Schedule No. 14.1 Stage 2 or higher has been activated, which is not the case while Southwest is in Stage 1 (Rule No. 14.1, D.4).
  5. 5Failing to repair a leak within 48 hours of notice from the utility may lead to termination of service under Rule No. 11 (Rule No. 14.1, B.2).

Report water waste

Golden State Water's online Report Water Waste form (address, community, date and time, residence or business, type of waste), or the 24-hour Customer Service Center at 800.999.4033 or customerservice@gswater.com.

Golden State Water Southwest watering questions

Does Golden State Water require watering days in Gardena and Lawndale?

Not at present. Its Southwest page recommends days by the last digit of the address: even numbers on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, odd numbers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Schedule No. 14.1 treats this Stage 1 pattern as voluntary, and Rule No. 14.1, D.1 makes day limits mandatory only from Stage 2.

What hours does Golden State Water Southwest recommend for sprinklers?

Between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. The Southwest page and Schedule No. 14.1 (Stage 1) both word this as a recommendation. Watering at night or early morning also cuts evaporation. Note that GSWC's Staged Conservation summary page words the same hours as a must, so check the Southwest page for any change.

How long after rain must I wait to water on a Golden State Water account?

48 hours. Rule No. 14.1, B.9 bans watering outside plants, lawn and turf during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall of 0.1 inch or more, and Section D.2 makes that ban mandatory at all times, unlike the recommended days and hours.

Is there a fine for watering on the wrong day in Golden State Water's Southwest area?

No dollar fine is set for the recommended days or hours. The company is an investor-owned utility and cannot pass penalty ordinances. For the waste bans that always apply, such as watering within 48 hours after rain, Rule No. 11 lets it shut off service if wasteful use is not fixed within 48 hours after a written notice. A flow-restricting device after one written warning is allowed only once Schedule No. 14.1 Stage 2 or higher is activated (Rule No. 14.1, D.4).

Are drip-watered fruit trees and vegetables exempt?

Yes. Schedule No. 14.1, Section C.n says the outdoor irrigation restriction does not apply to trees or edible vegetation watered solely by drip or micro spray systems. For any other exception, Section G asks the customer to write to Golden State Water explaining the reason, and the company answers in writing.

Which shortage stage is Golden State Water Southwest in?

Stage 1, a Water Alert where voluntary conservation is encouraged. Advice Letter No. 1896-W moved every Golden State Water service area except Nipomo, Cypress Ridge and Edna Road from Stage 2 to Stage 1, effective May 14, 2023, and no later stage filing appears in the company's advice letter list. A mandatory stage would need a new Tier 2 advice letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, and the company says it notifies customers in advance.

Is my home served by Golden State Water Southwest?

The Southwest system serves all of Gardena and Lawndale, parts of Carson, Compton, El Segundo, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Redondo Beach, and unincorporated Athens, Del Aire, El Camino Village, Lennox and Gardena Heights. Nearby homes may be billed by the City of Inglewood, the City of Hawthorne, California Water Service or Liberty Utilities instead. Check the name on your bill.

How do I report water waste to Golden State Water?

Use the Report Water Waste form on gswater.com. It asks for the street address, the community, the date and time, and the kind of waste, such as runoff, hosing a driveway or a car without a shut-off nozzle. You can also call the 24-hour Customer Service Center at 800.999.4033.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: Golden State Water Company, Southwest Customer Service Area (an investor-owned utility regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission; rules set by its CPUC tariffs Schedule No. 14.1 and Rule No. 14.1) (official schedule )

All 13 sources

Nearby water suppliers

Long BeachLong Beach Utilities DepartmentMandatory: 3 days/week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, all yearCity water
Los AngelesLos Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)Mandatory: 3 days/week by last digit of address, year-roundCity water
Cal Water East LACalifornia Water Service, East Los Angeles DistrictNo Cal Water days; no sprinklers 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Montebello adds daysWater district
BurbankBurbank Water and PowerMandatory: 2 days/week (Apr-Oct); Saturday only (Nov-Mar), all addressesCity 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

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.