WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Recommended patternVerified Schedule for October 2026

Ontario watering schedule 2026

Ontario Municipal Utilities Company sets no required watering days and no hours: water any day, at any hour. Recommended: avoid watering between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Today

Rules from: City of Ontario, Ontario Municipal Utilities Company (OMUC) (official schedule )

Ontario 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.

DaysRecommended, not required: avoid watering lawns and landscape between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Municipal Code 6-8.26(a)(6)).
RulesRequired at all times: no runoff from landscape onto streets, sidewalks or other paved areas (6-8.24(a)(4)).
RulesRequired at all times: no hosing of sidewalks, driveways or other paved surfaces except for health and sanitary purposes, with a positive shutoff nozzle (6-8.24(a)(5)).
RulesVoluntary Stage since May 2, 2023: no assigned days, no minute cap and no rain rule at this stage.
How the rule works

The City of Ontario does not assign watering days and sets no mandatory watering hours right now. Its Water Conservation Plan is in the Voluntary Stage, which the City Council put in place on May 2, 2023. In that stage the city recommends that residents avoid watering lawns and landscape between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., so the recommended time is 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. on any day. Two rules apply at all times under Municipal Code Section 6-8.24: water may not run off landscape into streets, sidewalks or other paved areas, and paved surfaces may not be hosed down except for health and sanitary purposes. After a written warning, violations bring civil penalties of $100, $200 and then $500.

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

Rules change. Get the new Ontario days and hours by email.

  • We watch the published Ontario 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 Ontario 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 41 minutes of sprinkler time a week, from the state climate table for Ontario. 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.

14minper watering day3 days a week in October
Per week
41 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 Ontario

Current stage Voluntary Stage of the City's Water Conservation Plan (Municipal Code Chapter 8A). On May 2, 2023 the City Council rescinded the Stage 3 measures and implemented the Voluntary Conservation Stage. The Restrictions page says the City is not currently in a drought. Stage 1 to Stage 6 restrictions start only when the City Council declares a water shortage by resolution (Section 6-8.22(c)).

The exceptions include recycled water, with conditions. A written exception can also be requested. The full text is below.

First: a written warning. Then $100, $200 and $500 within one year.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Ontario rules

  • Permanent at all times: no customer may let water run off landscape areas into adjoining streets, sidewalks or other paved areas due to incorrectly directed or maintained sprinklers or excessive watering (6-8.24(a)(4)).
  • Permanent at all times: washing sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking areas or other paved surfaces is prohibited except for health and sanitary purposes, and any handheld hose used must have a positive shutoff nozzle (6-8.24(a)(5)).
  • Permanent: non-recycling decorative fountains, single-pass cooling and non-recycling conveyor car washes and commercial laundries are prohibited in new water connections (6-8.24(a)(1) to (3)).
  • Potable water may not irrigate nonfunctional turf on commercial, industrial and institutional properties and HOA common areas, phased in from 2027 to 2031 under state law (6-8.24(a)(6)). The Restrictions page says the ban does not apply to residential properties.
  • The chapter's prohibitions and restrictions do not apply to recycled water or to potable water needed for public health and safety or essential government services (6-8.25(a)).
  • A customer can file a written application to the City Manager for relief from the water use restriction provisions; the City Manager's decision is final (6-8.33).
  • No rain rule in the Voluntary Stage. A ban on outdoor irrigation during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall starts only in Stage 2 (6-8.28(a)(3)).

Fines in Ontario

  1. 1First violation of Chapter 8A: a written warning (Municipal Code 6-8.34(a)(1)).
  2. 2Second violation: a civil penalty of $100 by citation and complaint (6-8.34(a)(2)).
  3. 3Third violation: a civil penalty of $200 (6-8.34(a)(3)).
  4. 4Fourth and each later violation within one year: a $500 penalty, and the City may install a flow restricting device for at least 48 hours at the customer's cost (6-8.34(a)(4)).
  5. 5Each day a violation continues is a separate offense (6-8.34(a)). The recommended 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours are voluntary in the current stage, so the ladder applies to the permanent prohibitions such as runoff and paved-surface washing.
  6. 6A hearing before the City Manager can be requested within 15 days of the citation (6-8.35).

Report water waste

The City's online Water Waste Form (report.ontarioca.gov) or the My Ontario app. Water conservation questions: (909) 395-2614 or waterwise@ontarioca.gov (Restrictions page).

Here a penalty starts at $100, after a written warning. The personal watering plan prints the minutes for every zone, every month, for $19 once. See the plan

Ontario watering questions

Does Ontario assign watering days by address?

No. In the Voluntary Stage of Ontario's Water Conservation Plan (Municipal Code Section 6-8.26) there are no assigned days and no even or odd address split. Day limits appear only in Stages 3 to 6, and the City Council has not declared any of them.

What time of day should I water my yard in Ontario?

The city recommends avoiding watering lawns, landscape and other turf between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Section 6-8.26(a)(6) and the WaterWise Restrictions page). That leaves 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. In the current Voluntary Stage this is a request, not a rule. If the Council declares Stage 1, the same 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. window becomes mandatory, with hand watering by a hose with a positive shutoff nozzle allowed at any time.

Which Ontario water rules are mandatory right now?

The General Prohibitions in Section 6-8.24 apply at all times. Water may not run off landscape areas into adjoining streets, sidewalks or other paved areas because of misdirected or poorly maintained sprinklers or overwatering. Sidewalks, driveways, parking areas and other paved surfaces may not be washed except for health and sanitary purposes, and the hose must have a positive shutoff nozzle.

What is the fine for wasting water in Ontario?

Under Section 6-8.34, the first violation of the Water Conservation Plan brings a written warning. The second is a $100 civil penalty, the third $200, and the fourth and each later violation within one year $500. The City may also install a flow restricting device for at least 48 hours and charge the cost. Each day a violation continues counts as a new offense. A hearing before the City Manager can be requested within 15 days (Section 6-8.35).

What water conservation stage is Ontario in?

The Voluntary Stage. On May 2, 2023 the City Council rescinded the Stage 3 measures it had used during the 2022 drought and implemented the Voluntary Conservation Stage. The Restrictions page says the City is not currently in a drought. Mandatory Stages 1 to 6 start only when the Council declares a water shortage by resolution (Section 6-8.22).

Do I have to wait after rain before watering in Ontario?

Ontario's Voluntary Stage sets no rain rule. Section 6-8.28 bans outdoor irrigation during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall once the City Council declares Stage 2 or higher. Skipping irrigation after a good rain still saves water.

Is my Ontario home served by the City's water utility?

This page covers customers of the City of Ontario's own utility, the Ontario Municipal Utilities Company. Cucamonga Valley Water District also serves portions of Ontario, Fontana and Upland, according to its About Us page, and its customers follow CVWD's rules. Check the name on your water bill.

How do I report water waste in Ontario?

Use the City's online Water Waste Form at report.ontarioca.gov or the My Ontario app, and give the exact address and the kind of waste. For conservation questions, call the Ontario WaterWise line at (909) 395-2614 or email waterwise@ontarioca.gov.

Sources and verification

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

Water supplier: City of Ontario, Ontario Municipal Utilities Company (OMUC) (official schedule )

All 12 sources

Nearby water suppliers

Rancho CucamongaCucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD)No assigned days; year-round waste rules onlyWater district
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
RiversideRiverside Public UtilitiesNo set days; 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. is advice, waste bans enforcedCity water
Suburban Water SystemsSuburban Water SystemsMandatory: 3 days/week year-round by even or odd address, never 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.City water
San BernardinoSan Bernardino Municipal Water Department (SBMWD)Mandatory: 3 days/week year-round: Monday, Wednesday and FridayCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.