WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Mandatory scheduleVerified Schedule for October 2026

Modesto watering schedule 2026

City of Modesto customers water by house number. April to October: odd Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, even Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. November to March: odd Wednesday and Sunday, even Tuesday and Saturday. Never noon to 7 p.m.

Today
Odd addresses
Even addresses

Rules from: City of Modesto Utilities Department (official schedule )

Modesto watering days by season

April 1 to October 31

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 noon and 7 p.m. on any day.

November 1 to March 31

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

Odd house numbersEven house numbers

No sprinklers between noon and 7 p.m. on any day.

Next schedule change: November 1, 2026, when the winter schedule starts. Winter schedule dates for other California suppliers

HoursNo watering between noon and 7 p.m. on any day. The city schedule also excludes Monday.
Off seasonNovember 1 to March 31: even addresses Tuesday and Saturday; odd addresses Wednesday and Sunday. No watering between noon and 7 p.m. (city printable schedule, p. 1).
How the rule works

Modesto's contiguous city water system uses three days a week from April 1 to October 31: even addresses Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; odd addresses Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. From November 1 to March 31, even addresses use Tuesday and Saturday; odd addresses use Wednesday and Sunday. Both seasons prohibit watering from noon to 7 p.m. These are the city's posted Watering Schedule rules, enforced under Municipal Code 11-1.14.

Odd numbers shown until you type yours.

Free printable calendar

Your Modesto watering days on one page. Free.

  • One page for the fridge or the garage door
  • The days for every season
  • 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 Modesto 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 36 minutes of sprinkler time a week, from the state climate table for Modesto. 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
36 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 Modesto's days above.Get the plan for $19

Rules and fines in Modesto

Current stage Modesto's current watering schedule sets three days in summer and two in winter. No numbered shortage stage is named on the city's current pages. Municipal Code 11-1.14 lets the council set these rules by resolution.

The exceptions include drip irrigation, hand watering and new plantings, each with its own conditions. The full text is below.

First: a notice with no fine. Then $150, $250 and $500.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Modesto rules

  • The city's posted schedule permits drip irrigation, hand watering of trees and shrubs, and car washing with a shutoff nozzle at any time (Watering Schedule page).
  • The city offers a requested 90-day exemption to establish new landscaping. It does not offer that exemption during an emergency drought (Watering Schedule page).
  • No irrigation during rain or for 48 hours after rainfall exceeding 0.01 inch. Runoff is prohibited (printable schedule, p. 1).
  • Hardscape washing is restricted to health and safety needs or maintenance and construction, with a positive shutoff nozzle and measures to prevent runoff (Watering Schedule page).
  • Customers must initiate steps to repair leaks within 24 hours of knowing, or having reason to know, about them (Municipal Code 11-1.03(c)). The printable schedule summarizes this as repairing leaks within 24 hours.

Fines in Modesto

  1. 1The current printable schedule, p. 1, lists a first notice without a fine, followed by $150, $250 and $500 for subsequent violations.
  2. 2Municipal Code 11-1.14(a) provides progressive penalties for violations within one year, with amounts established by council resolution. It provides a written appeal to the Director within 15 days of notice.

Report water waste

Report water waste to Modesto Water Conservation at 209-342-2246 or waterconservation@modestogov.com (city Water Conservation page).

Here a penalty starts at $150, after a notice with no fine. The personal watering plan prints your days and the minutes for every zone, every month, for $19 once. See the plan

Modesto watering questions

Does Modesto's winter watering schedule keep the same hours?

Yes. The city printable schedule, p. 1, retains the noon to 7 p.m. restriction in winter. November through March removes Thursday from the even-address pattern and Friday from the odd-address pattern.

Does Modesto exempt drip irrigation and hand watering?

The Watering Schedule page lists drip irrigation and hand watering of trees and shrubs as uses permitted at any time. It also lists car washing with a shutoff nozzle. That wording does not establish a blanket hand-watering exception for every lawn.

How does rain affect Modesto's assigned days?

The city's printable schedule, p. 1, prohibits irrigation during rain and for 48 hours after rainfall exceeding 0.01 inch. An assigned day does not override that rain restriction or the prohibition on runoff.

What fines does Modesto publish for water waste?

The city printable schedule lists a first notice without a fine, then $150, $250 and $500. Municipal Code 11-1.14(a) describes progressive penalties within one year and a written appeal to the Director within 15 days of notice.

Can newly planted landscaping get a Modesto schedule exemption?

The city's Watering Schedule page offers a requested 90-day establishment exemption. It says these exemptions are unavailable during an emergency drought. The exemption is a city process, not an automatic change to the calendar.

Do all customers billed by Modesto get three summer watering days?

No. Modesto's Watering Schedule page keeps its Turlock, Grayson, Ceres Walnut Manor and Del Rio systems on two days all year. Those systems use even addresses Tuesday and Saturday and odd addresses Wednesday and Sunday.

Where does Modesto take water-waste reports?

The city Water Conservation page lists 209-342-2246 and waterconservation@modestogov.com. Give the location and observed time so staff can compare the incident with the correct Modesto system's schedule.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: City of Modesto Utilities Department (official schedule )

All 4 sources

Nearby water suppliers

CeresCity of CeresMandatory: 2 assigned days/week year-round under the city's posted Stage II patternCity water
RiponCity of RiponMandatory: 3 days/week (Mar-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Feb)City water
TurlockCity of TurlockMandatory: 2 days/week (Mar-Oct); 1 day/week (Nov-Feb)City water
StocktonCity of Stockton Municipal Utilities DepartmentMandatory: 2 days/week by address number on city water; no set days on Cal WaterCity water
MercedCity of MercedMandatory: 3 assigned days/week year-round; no ordinary Monday wateringCity water
MaderaCity of MaderaMandatory: 3 days/week by address, year-round; never 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or on MondayCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.