Sacramento watering schedule 2026
City of Sacramento customers water by house number. March to October: odd Tuesday and Saturday, even Wednesday and Sunday, never 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. November to February: one day a week, Saturday or Sunday, any hour.
Rules from: City of Sacramento Department of Utilities (CA) (official schedule )
Sacramento watering days by season
March 1 to October 31
Two days a week- MON
- TUE
- WED
- THU
- FRI
- SAT
- SUN
Odd house numbersEven house numbersTodayEarlier this week
No sprinklers between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on any day.
November 1 to February 28
One day a week, your pick- MON
- TUE
- WED
- THU
- FRI
- SAT
- SUN
Odd house numbersEven house numbers
No set hours in this season.
Next schedule change: November 1, 2026, when the winter schedule starts. Winter schedule dates for other California suppliers
How the rule works
City of Sacramento addresses water on two assigned days. From March 1 to October 31, even-numbered addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday, odd-numbered addresses on Tuesday and Saturday, and not between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. From November 1 to February 28, watering drops to one day per week, Saturday or Sunday, at any hour. Drip irrigation and hand watering are exempt from the day rules.
Which Sacramento area supplier serves you
Many addresses with a Sacramento postal city are served by other suppliers with their own schedules. Check the supplier named on your water bill.
- Sacramento watering schedule (this page): City of Sacramento Department of Utilities. 2 days/week by address parity (Mar-Oct), 1 day/week in winter.
- Sacramento Suburban Water District watering rules: No set days; 3 days/week recommended by address parity.
- West Sacramento watering schedule: City of West Sacramento. 3 days/week by address parity, year-round; no watering Monday.
- Elk Grove watering schedule: Sacramento County Water Agency. SCWA accounts: 3 assigned days/week year-round.
- Citrus Heights watering schedule: Citrus Heights Water District. No assigned days or clock window; Normal-stage waste rules apply year-round.
Odd numbers shown until you type yours.
Your Sacramento 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
How many minutes to run sprinklers on each water day
One zone at a time, from the state climate table for Sacramento and the month you pick. The plan does every zone for every month.
- Per week
- 37 min
- Zone
- Lawn
- System
- Spray heads, 1.6 in/hr
Rules and fines in Sacramento
Current stage Normal year-round mandatory schedule. No water shortage declaration in effect as of 2026-08-25: the city's conservation pages show the base schedule and base fine table with no stage banner. City Code 13.04.910 lets council declare a shortage, which doubles penalties (13.04.890.E), but no named stage is currently posted.
The exceptions include drip irrigation, hand watering, food gardens, potted plants, new plantings, smart controllers, fixing or testing sprinklers and heat waves, each with its own conditions. A written exception can also be requested. The full text is below.
First: a written warning. Then $25, $100 and $500 within 12 months.
Full text of the rules
Exceptions to the Sacramento rules
- City page exemption list: drip irrigation or soaker hoses; watering with a hose and spray nozzle; smart controllers that have been validated by City staff; potted plants; edible gardens; new landscaping, up to 30 days after installation; when there are two or more consecutive days above 100 degrees.
- Ordinance detail, fully exempt from BOTH days and hours limits (13.04.870.E): landscape irrigation using a low volume irrigation system; irrigation of container plants; hand watering with a watering can or using a hose without an automatic timer; operation of irrigation systems solely for testing, maintenance, or repair.
- Ordinance detail, exempt from the DAY rules but NOT the 10 a.m.-7 p.m. hours rule (13.04.870.F): new landscaping per 13.04.880; irrigation of a special landscape area; smart controller properly installed and operated as verified by the department; landscape irrigation during a heat wave period; alternate method authorized by the director with substantially equal conservation benefit.
- New landscaping (13.04.880.A): any day of the week for 30 days after planting; director may extend in writing based on plant type and season. City FAQ: up to 30 consecutive days when new sod is installed.
- Rain rule: no watering during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall (13.04.870.H); city page states it as 48 hours after one-eighth inch of rain.
- Always prohibited regardless of day: water waste/runoff onto sidewalks or gutters, ponding (13.04.860); washing down sidewalks, driveways, or parking areas except fire/health/sanitation or IPM (13.04.870.A); vehicle washing only with an automatic shut-off nozzle on the hose or a bucket (13.04.870.B); fountains/decorative water features must recirculate (13.04.870.G).
- Variance: email waterconservation@cityofsacramento.org or call 916-808-5605 to request a variance from landscape watering requirements.
- City parks are allowed to water during the week (city FAQ); other city facilities should follow the schedule.
Fines in Sacramento
- 11st violation in a 12-month period (page: within 365 days): written warning/notice of violation, no fine (code 13.04.890.A.1).
- 22nd violation in 12 months: $25 penalty; removed if within 60 days the owner/occupant attends a department water conservation seminar or accepts a Water Wise House Call (one such removal per premises per 24 months) (13.04.890.A.2; page: waivable by participating in a Water Conservation program).
- 33rd violation in 12 months: $100 (13.04.890.A.3).
- 44th and each subsequent violation in any 12-month period: $500 (13.04.890.A.4).
- 5Mechanics: violations on separate calendar days are separate violations; penalty is imposed on the property owner and added to the water bill; director may waive any penalty if within 120 days the owner participates in turf-removal, irrigation-upgrade, or smart-controller incentive programs (13.04.890.B); appeal within 30 days (13.04.900); all penalty amounts DOUBLE while a council-declared water shortage is in effect (13.04.890.E).
Report water waste
Call 311 (or 916-264-5011), email 311@cityofsacramento.org, report online via the city 311 website, or use the Sac311 smartphone app; include days/times observed, the address, and any pattern (frequency/duration).
Here a penalty starts at $25, after a written warning. 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
City of Sacramento Department of Utilities also pays by the square foot to take lawn out: $1.50/sq ft, up to $3,000 for a single-family home. The money is reserved before any digging starts, so the order of the steps matters more than the rate.
Sacramento watering questions
What days can I water in Sacramento?
From March 1 to October 31, even-numbered addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday, odd-numbered addresses on Tuesday and Saturday. Landscape irrigation does not run on Monday, Thursday or Friday. From November 1 to February 28, watering is one day per week, on Saturday or Sunday only.
What hours can sprinklers run?
From March 1 to October 31, not between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., so before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. In winter, the one weekend watering day has no hour restriction.
Does the schedule apply to drip irrigation or hand watering?
No. The city exempts drip irrigation, soaker hoses, watering with a hose and spray nozzle, potted plants, edible gardens, and city-validated smart controllers from the day rules.
What is the fine for watering on the wrong day?
Within a 12-month period: a written warning first, then $25, then $100, then $500 for the fourth and each later violation. The $25 penalty can be removed by attending a city water conservation seminar or a Water Wise House Call within 60 days. Amounts double while a council-declared water shortage is in effect; none was declared as of the verification date.
Can new sod or new plants get water every day?
New landscaping waters on any day of the week for 30 days after installation, and the department can extend that in writing. The 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. restriction still applies during that period.
What happens when it rains?
No watering during rain and for 48 hours after measurable rainfall. The city states the trigger as one-eighth inch of rain.
My address says Sacramento but these rules do not match my bill. Why?
Many addresses with a Sacramento postal city are served by other suppliers with their own schedules: Sacramento Suburban Water District, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, California American Water and others. Check the supplier named on your water bill.
How do I report water waste in Sacramento?
Call 311 (916-264-5011), use the Sac311 app or website, or email 311@cityofsacramento.org. Include the address, the days and times you observed, and how often it happens.
Sources and verification
Rules checked October 2026. The schedule is watched for changes and updated when the supplier changes it.
Water supplier: City of Sacramento Department of Utilities (CA) (official schedule )
All 4 sources
- City's official Watering Schedule pageRead August 25, 2026 on www.cityofsacramento.gov/utilities/water-conservation/watering-schedule
- Sacramento City Code (2026 S-4 current) sections 13.04.860 water runoff, 13.04.870 outdoor conservation (dates, days, hours, exemptions E/F, rain rule), 13.04.880 new landscaping, 13.04.890 penalties, 13.04.900 appealRead August 25, 2026 on codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sacramentoca/latest/sacramento_ca/0-0-0-26057
- Water Conservation landing pageRead August 25, 2026 on www.cityofsacramento.gov/utilities/water-conservation
- Council Resolution 2026-0081 (2026-04-14)Read August 25, 2026 on records.cityofsacramento.org/ViewDoc.aspx?ID=s6tFBnt4W+Iwfqg1SyvmZYh%2FgBBCsC6I
Nearby water suppliers
The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.