Los Angeles watering schedule 2026
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers water by house number: odd numbers Monday, Wednesday and Friday, even numbers Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Never 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rules from: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) (official schedule )
Los Angeles watering days by season
Year-round
Three days a week- MON
- TUE
- WED
- THU
- FRI
- SAT
- SUN
Odd house numbersEven house numbersTodayEarlier this week
No sprinklers between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on any day.
How the rule works
LADWP customers water three days a week, year-round, based on the last digit of the street address. Odd endings (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) water on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; even endings (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Watering is not permitted between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on any day, during rain, or within 48 hours after a measurable rain event. Spray head sprinklers and bubblers run up to 8 minutes per station per watering day; conserving rotors run up to two 15-minute cycles.
Odd numbers shown until you type yours.
Your Los Angeles 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
How many minutes to run sprinklers on each water day
One zone at a time, from the state climate table for Los Angeles and the month you pick. The plan does every zone for every month.
- Per week
- 36 min
- Zone
- Lawn
- System
- Spray heads, 1.6 in/hr
Rules and fines in Los Angeles
Current stage Phase 2 (Phase II) of the Emergency Water Conservation Plan Ordinance (LAMC Ch. XII Art. I, Ord. No. 184250). LADWP's page states: "City of Los Angeles is Currently in Phase 2 of Water Conservation" and labels the Phase 2 fine column "(Current)".
The exceptions include drip irrigation, hand watering, food gardens, recycled water and fixing or testing sprinklers, each with its own conditions. A written exception can also be requested. The full text is below.
First: a written warning. Then $100, $200 and $300 within 12 months, for water meters smaller than 2 inches.
Full text of the rules
Exceptions to the Los Angeles rules
- Hand-held hose watering of vegetation with a self-closing water shut-off nozzle: allowed every day, except between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
- Drip irrigation supplying water to a food source: exempt from the watering-day provisions (Phase II, Sec. 121.08.B.5)
- Very low-flow drip-type irrigation (no emitter producing more than 4 gallons per hour) and micro-sprinklers using less than 14 gallons per hour: exempt from the landscape irrigation minute limits (Sec. 121.08.A.8)
- Public and private golf course greens and tees and professional Sports Fields: may irrigate during the 9 a.m.-4 p.m. window to maintain play areas and accommodate event schedules
- Supervised testing or repairing of irrigation systems: allowed anytime with proper signage
- Sports Fields: may deviate from non-watering days upon written Notice to the Department, if overall monthly water use is reduced by the Board-adopted degree of shortage plus 5% from Customer Baseline Water Usage within 30 days
- Large Landscape Areas (3+ acres): may deviate from non-watering days upon written Notice with certified weather-based irrigation controllers registered with LADWP (MWD- or SWAT-certified), the same shortage-plus-5% reduction, and use of recycled water if available
- Recycled Water and Gray Water: the Article does not apply, provided use causes no excess flow or runoff onto adjoining sidewalk, driveway, street, gutter or ditch (Sec. 121.11.D)
- Hillside burn areas recovering from fire replanted for erosion control: exempt with verification from the agency requiring erosion control; limited to one growing cycle, one year, or establishment of vegetation, whichever is less (Sec. 121.11.F)
- Uses necessary for public health and safety or essential government services (police, fire, similar emergency services) (Sec. 121.08.G)
- Washing property immediately following aerial pesticide application (e.g., Malathion) is not a violation (Sec. 121.11.C)
- Water-pressure devices for graffiti removal and Department-listed water-conserving spray cleaning devices: exempt from the paved-surface washing ban (a simple spray nozzle does not qualify)
- Variance available for undue hardship due to unique circumstances (e.g., physical disabilities); temporary variance application process on LADWP site (Sec. 121.08.H)
Fines in Los Angeles
- 1Violations counted within the preceding 12 calendar months; penalties per Penalty Schedule A appear on the regular water bill. No monetary citation without prior warning.
- 2Phase 2 (current), water meter smaller than 2 inches: 1st violation = written warning $0; 2nd written violation = $100; 3rd = $200; 4th = $300
- 3Phase 2 (current), water meter 2 inches and larger: 1st = written warning $0; 2nd = $200; 3rd = $400; 4th = $600
- 45th or subsequent violation (any meter size): LADWP may install a 1-gallon-per-minute flow-restricting device (comparatively sized for services over 1.5 inches) or terminate service, after a hearing, in addition to fines
- 5Separate Penalty Schedule B for unreasonable use / failure to comply with a Customer Conservation Plan (Sec. 121.09), Phase 2: $1,000/month (months 1-5), $2,000 (6-11), $3,000 (12-17), $4,000 (18-23); beyond 24 months referred to Board for flow restrictors or other actions
- 6Names and addresses of violators receiving monetary fines may be disclosed under the California Public Records Act
Report water waste
Online "Report Water Waste" form at ladwp.com/waterwaste (redirects to the Report Water Waste page; form at myaccount.ladwp.com); by phone 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397); via MyLA311 Online Services; or the Water Conservation Response Unit directly at wcru@ladwp.com / 800-544-4498. Provide exact address, date and time, and a brief description.
Here a penalty starts at $100, after a written warning, for water meters smaller than 2 inches. The personal watering plan prints your days and the minutes for every zone, every month, for $19 once. See the plan
Turf rebate from the same agency
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also pays by the square foot to take lawn out: $5.00/sq ft in Los Angeles ($3 LADWP on top of $2 MWD). The money is reserved before any digging starts, so the order of the steps matters more than the rate.
Los Angeles watering questions
What days can I water in Los Angeles?
Look at the last digit of your street address. Odd endings (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) water on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; even endings (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) water on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Addresses ending in 1/2 or any fraction follow the days for the last whole number in the address. The schedule runs year-round with no seasonal changes.
What hours can sprinklers run?
Not between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on any day, so water before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. on your assigned days. Public and private golf course greens and tees and professional sports fields are allowed to irrigate during that window to maintain play areas.
How long can sprinklers run on a watering day?
With non-conserving nozzles (spray head sprinklers and bubblers), no more than 8 minutes per watering day per station, for a total of 24 minutes per week. With conserving nozzles (standard rotors and multi-stream rotary heads), no more than 15 minutes per cycle, up to 2 cycles per watering day per station, for a total of 90 minutes per week.
Can I hand water or use drip irrigation every day?
Yes, with limits. Hand watering with a hose that has a self-closing shut-off nozzle is allowed every day, except between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Drip irrigation supplying a food source is exempt from the watering-day rules, and very low-flow drip (no emitter over 4 gallons per hour) and micro-sprinklers using less than 14 gallons per hour are exempt from the minute limits.
What is the fine for watering on the wrong day?
The first violation brings a written warning with no charge; there is no monetary citation without a prior warning. For water meters smaller than 2 inches, the next violations cost $100, then $200, then $300; for meters 2 inches and larger, $200, then $400, then $600. Violations are counted within the preceding 12 calendar months and penalties appear on the regular water bill. After a fifth violation, LADWP can install a 1-gallon-per-minute flow-restricting device or terminate service, after a hearing.
What happens when it rains?
No irrigation during rain and within 48 hours after a measurable rain event. This applies on top of the day and hour rules, so skip your assigned day if it falls inside that window.
Does the schedule apply to recycled or gray water?
No, the ordinance does not apply to recycled water or gray water. The condition is that use causes no excess flow or runoff onto an adjoining sidewalk, driveway, street, gutter or ditch.
My address says Los Angeles but my bill is not from LADWP. Do these rules apply?
No, these rules cover LADWP customers in the City of Los Angeles. Nearby and enclaved areas are served by other suppliers with their own schedules: Burbank Water and Power, Glendale Water and Power, Pasadena Water and Power, City of Beverly Hills (which also serves most of West Hollywood), Santa Monica Water, Golden State Water in Culver City, City of San Fernando, Long Beach Utilities, Las Virgenes MWD in Calabasas and Agoura, and LA County Waterworks or Cal Water pockets. Check the supplier named on your water bill.
How do I report water waste in Los Angeles?
Use the online Report Water Waste form at ladwp.com/waterwaste, call 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397), or go through MyLA311 Online Services. The Water Conservation Response Unit is also reachable at wcru@ladwp.com or 800-544-4498. Provide the exact address, date and time, and a brief description.
Sources and verification
Rules checked October 2026. The schedule is watched for changes and updated when the supplier changes it.
Water supplier: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) (official schedule )
All 4 sources
- LADWP Water Conservation and Ordinance pageRead August 25, 2026 on www.ladwp.com/wateringdays
- LADWP Know Your Watering Days Fact SheetRead August 25, 2026 on www.ladwp.com/sites/default/files/2024-01/2024_Know_Your_Watering_Days_Fact_Sheet_English_0.pdf
- Full text of Ordinance No. 184250 (Emergency Water Conservation Plan, effective May 3, 2016, 18 pages)Read August 25, 2026 on www.ladwp.com/sites/default/files/documents/15_0540_ORD_184250_5_3_16.pdf
- LADWP Report Water Waste pageRead August 25, 2026 on www.ladwp.com/who-we-are/water-system/water-conservation/report-water-waste
Nearby water suppliers
The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.