WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Mandatory scheduleVerified Schedule for October 2026

Merced watering schedule 2026

City of Merced customers water by house number: odd numbers Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, even numbers Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Never 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Today
Odd addresses
Even addresses

Rules from: City of Merced Water Division (official schedule )

Merced watering days by season

Year-round

Three 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 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on any day.

HoursNo landscape irrigation between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. No ordinary Monday watering (Municipal Code 15.42.050(B)).
Off seasonThe current Public Works FAQ publishes the same pattern year-round. Rain and permit conditions still apply.
How the rule works

City of Merced customers follow the Public Works FAQ's year-round schedule: even addresses Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; odd addresses Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Landscape irrigation is prohibited from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Monday, except the code's park exception. This is the Level 2 schedule in Municipal Code 15.42.050(B); no separate notice naming the active level was found.

Odd numbers shown until you type yours.

Free printable calendar

Your Merced 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 Merced 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 35 minutes of sprinkler time a week, from the state climate table for Merced. 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.

12minper watering day3 days a week in October
Per week
35 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 Merced's days above.Get the plan for $19

Rules and fines in Merced

Current stage Merced's Public Works FAQ posts the three-day schedule that Municipal Code 15.42.050(B) sets for Water Conservation Level 2. No separate declaration naming the active level was found, so the level is read from that match between the posted schedule and the code.

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

First: a cease-and-desist notice. Then $50, $75 and $150.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Merced rules

  • No landscape irrigation during measurable rainfall or for 48 hours afterward (Municipal Code 15.42.050(A)(1)(h)).
  • Noncommercial vegetable gardens with at least 80 percent of the cultivated area in edible plants have a separate schedule: every day except Monday, before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m., without runoff. Marijuana is excluded from the garden definition (Municipal Code 15.44.030-.040).
  • New-planting permits under 15.42.100(B) can authorize daily irrigation for 30 days between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. They cover planting on newly rototilled earth, not reseeding or replacement. The Director can impose conditions; permits are not issued at Level 3. The current FAQ excludes Monday from its new-lawn guidance, so the issued permit's terms matter.
  • Variances under 15.42.060 are limited to health, sanitation, fire-protection or other emergency needs and are decided by the Public Works Director.
  • Broken fixtures, leaks and landscape flooding are prohibited. Chapter 15.42 also prohibits water use without a reasonable purpose and waste through substantial runoff or puddling (15.42.020, 15.42.050(A), 15.42.100(A)).
  • Vehicle or boat washing requires an automatic shutoff hose nozzle. Nonrecirculating decorative fountains and hardscape washing without a health or safety need are prohibited. Building-exterior washing has limited window-cleaning, painting-preparation and annual-washing exceptions (15.42.050(A)(1)).

Fines in Merced

  1. 1Municipal Code 15.42.110(B)-(D) provides an initial cease-and-desist notice, followed by monetary penalties: $50 for the first penalty, $75 for the second and $150 for the third and later violations.
  2. 2A written appeal must reach the City Clerk within 15 days of notice (15.42.110(E)). Section 15.42.070 also authorizes discontinuing service for violations, with notice and reconnection conditions.

Report water waste

Report water waste to 209-388-7283 (209-388-SAVE), option 2, as listed in the Public Works FAQ and Water Conservation page. City utility billing is 209-385-6841.

Here a penalty starts at $50, after a cease-and-desist notice. The personal watering plan prints your days and the minutes for every zone, every month, for $19 once. See the plan

Merced watering questions

Does Merced publish a separate winter watering calendar?

The current Public Works FAQ publishes one three-day address pattern without seasonal dates. It matches Municipal Code 15.42.050(B). This page therefore uses that pattern for all twelve months.

What is Merced's separate vegetable-garden watering rule?

Municipal Code 15.44.030-.040 covers noncommercial gardens with at least 80 percent of their cultivated area in edible plants, excluding marijuana. Their schedule is every day except Monday, before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m., without runoff.

What does a Merced new-lawn permit change?

Section 15.42.100(B) provides a 30-day permit for new planting on newly rototilled earth, excluding reseeding and replacement. It specifies 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. The FAQ excludes Monday, while the code says daily and allows added permit conditions. Follow the terms on the issued permit.

What happens to Merced's watering schedule after rain?

Municipal Code 15.42.050(A)(1)(h) prohibits landscape irrigation during measurable rainfall and for 48 hours afterward. The ordinary address calendar does not override this standing rain restriction.

What penalty ladder does Merced's code set for water waste?

Section 15.42.110 starts with a cease-and-desist notice. The monetary ladder is $50, then $75, then $150 for third and later penalties. A written appeal goes to the City Clerk within 15 days of notice. The reviewed section does not specify an annual reset.

Does a Merced irrigation controller have a verified minute cap?

No fixed minute cap was found in Chapter 15.42. The city's conservation advice about shorter runs is not a substitute for the code's rules against broken fixtures, flooding and wasteful runoff.

How can Merced residents report watering on the wrong day?

The Public Works FAQ and Water Conservation page list 209-388-7283, also written 209-388-SAVE, option 2. The city Utility Billing page lists 209-385-6841 for checking which account supplies the property.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: City of Merced Water Division (official schedule )

All 4 sources

Nearby water suppliers

TurlockCity of TurlockMandatory: 2 days/week (Mar-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Feb)City water
MaderaCity of MaderaMandatory: 3 days/week by address, year-round; never 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or on MondayCity water
CeresCity of CeresMandatory: 2 assigned days/week year-round under the city's posted Stage II patternCity water
ModestoCity of ModestoMandatory: 3 days/week from April through October; 2 days/week from November through MarchCity water
RiponCity of RiponMandatory: 3 days/week (Mar-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Feb)City water
ClovisCity of ClovisMandatory: 3 days/week (Apr-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Mar); any hourCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.