Skip to content
WateringTimes

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

San Francisco Watering Schedule

No set daysRules verified August 27, 2026

No assigned days and no citywide hours

  • No watering outdoor landscapes during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
  • No watering that runs off onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures.
  • Hoses need a positive shut-off valve, for any purpose.
  • No washing sidewalks, driveways, plazas or other outdoor hardscapes with drinking water for reasons other than health, safety, or City sidewalk cleanliness standards.
  • No irrigating ornamental turf on public street medians with drinking water.
  • Advice only, with no penalty attached: SFPUC says once or twice a week may be sufficient for a typical San Francisco property.
  • One clock provision exists but is not a household curfew: Section F, Rule 6 prints "Overhead irrigation shall be scheduled between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. unless weather conditions prevent it." SFPUC ties it to landscape irrigation design and operation, and Rule 1 reads two ways on whether it reaches an ordinary yard, so ask SFPUC about a specific property.

San Francisco has no assigned watering days and no citywide watering hours: SFPUC sets no odd/even rule by address, no assigned weekdays, and no days-per-week cap. What it enforces year round, rain or shine, is the Section E, Rule 12 water waste list, which bans watering that causes runoff onto walkways, roadways or adjacent property, hoses used without a positive shut-off valve, and applying potable water to outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall. SFPUC's Prevent Water Waste page says that for a typical San Francisco property watering once or twice a week may be sufficient, but that line is advice with no penalty attached to it, not a cap. No drought stage or water shortage level is in effect either, because SFPUC rescinded its Water Shortage Emergency Declaration on April 11, 2023 and lifted the drought surcharge effective May 1, 2023. One clock provision does exist in the separate landscape irrigation rules, Section F, Rule 6, but SFPUC ties it to irrigation system design and operation and does not publish it to households as a citywide curfew.

How many minutes on each watering day

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) assigns no watering days, so nobody can tell you how many days to split the week across. Set the days you actually water and this works out the minutes from San Francisco's climate for the month you pick.

Climate data

San Francisco · 38.7 in/yr

About 25 minutes per watering day, 2 days a week.

How that was worked out

Week's climate demand: 5.2 in for July × 7 ÷ 31 days = 1.174 in

Plants need: 1.174 × 0.8 = 0.939 in this week

Run time: 0.939 ÷ (1.6 in/hr × 0.7) × 60 = 50 min per week

Split: 50 ÷ 2 watering days = 25 min each time

If water runs off the edges before the cycle ends, split each day into shorter back-to-back cycles with a soak break between them. The total minutes stay the same.

Rain is not subtracted here. Skip watering during and after rain, and follow your supplier's rain rule. Point-source drip emitters and Bubblers are not in the list above: no manufacturer publishes an inches-per-hour rate for them, so those zones are watered by volume rather than by a run time against a rate.

Want the full method, the nozzle rate tables and their sources? Open the run time calculator.

Current status

No drought stage, water shortage level, or water shortage emergency is in effect. SFPUC rescinded its Water Shortage Emergency Declaration at the April 11, 2023 Commission meeting and lifted the drought surcharge effective May 1, 2023. No new declaration has been issued since, and no drought banner or service alert appears on sfpuc.gov as of this check. The permanent water waste restrictions in Section E, Rule 12 stay in force year round, rain or shine, independent of any drought stage.

The schedule

Year-round permanent water waste restrictions (no seasonal variation)

In effect year round, rain or shine. Source document: Rules and Regulations Governing Water Service to Customers, established by Resolution No. 19.786, effective January 1, 1960, amended June 8, 2026. Rule 12 itself carries the note: per Resolution 22-0045 approved February 22, 2022 and Resolution 23-0042 approved February 14, 2023, updating Resolution 16-0127 approved June 28, 2016.

Days: No assigned watering days. SFPUC sets no odd/even schedule by address, no assigned weekdays, and no days-per-week cap for landscape irrigation. The only day-based restriction is conditional on weather: Section E, Rule 12(1)(e) prohibits 'Application of potable water to outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.' SFPUC's Prevent Water Waste page offers advice only, stating that for a typical San Francisco property 'watering once or twice a week may be sufficient.' That is written as guidance, not as a cap, and no rule attaches a penalty to exceeding it.

Hours: No citywide clock restriction on landscape watering for general retail customers. The Prevent Water Waste page lists no prohibited hours, and Section E, Rule 12 contains no time-of-day provision. A separate hours provision exists in the Water Efficient Irrigation rules: Section F, Rule 6 (Water Efficient Landscape Design and Operation Elements), under Irrigation Scheduling, prints 'Overhead irrigation shall be scheduled between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. unless weather conditions prevent it,' and also requires that irrigation scheduling be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers. Section F, Rule 1 applies to Tier 1 rehabilitated landscape projects with an aggregate modified landscape area of 1,000 square feet up to under 2,500 square feet; Tier 2 new construction projects with an aggregate landscape area of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated projects of 2,500 square feet or more; and, per Rule 1(a)(iii), to 'The irrigation and maintenance of any landscape irrigation system.' Treat 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. as a landscape ordinance provision tied to irrigation system design and operation, not as a general watering curfew that SFPUC advertises to households.

Run-time limits: No per-station minute limits and no limits by nozzle or sprinkler type are printed anywhere in SFPUC's rules. Section F, Rule 6 requires instead that irrigation schedules for each station consider: irrigation interval (days between irrigation); irrigation run times (time period per irrigation event to avoid runoff); number of cycle starts required for each irrigation event to avoid runoff; application rate setting; plant type setting; soil type; and slope factor setting. The Prevent Water Waste page adds advice for sloped areas that watering 'should be done in multiple start times to avoid runoff,' giving the example of five minutes, wait one hour, then water five more minutes. That example is guidance, not a limit.

Exceptions and standing rules

  • No drip, hand watering, new planting, edible plant, container pot, hot day, or smart controller exceptions exist, because SFPUC assigns no watering days or hours for general customers and therefore has no schedule to grant exceptions from. Any list of such exceptions attributed to SFPUC is not from SFPUC.
  • Hardscape washing (Rule 12(1)(c)): washing sidewalks, driveways, plazas and other outdoor hardscapes with potable water is allowed for reasons of health, safety, or to meet City of San Francisco standards for sidewalk cleanliness. The prohibition applies where it is done for other reasons and in a manner that causes runoff to storm drains and sewer catch basins.
  • Construction and demolition use (Rule 12(1)(g)): potable water for backfill consolidation around non-potable piping, soil compaction, or dust control is prohibited only if recycled water, well water, or groundwater are available. SFPUC reviews the fire hydrant meter application and allows temporary supply from fire hydrants if it determines recycled water, well water, or groundwater are not available for the project.
  • Drinking water service (Rule 12(1)(h)): eating and drinking establishments may serve drinking water upon request; the prohibition covers serving it unrequested.
  • Hose use (Rule 12(1)(b)): hoses are permitted when fitted with a positive shut-off valve.
  • Nonfunctional turf ban exemptions (Section F, Rule 17(c)) do not apply to: cemeteries, active use areas of parks, sports fields, and golf courses; single-family properties; areas that are the exclusive use of the occupants of an individual dwelling unit; water used to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings; and areas irrigated with recycled water.
  • Section F scope exclusions (Rule 1(b)): registered local, state or federal historical sites where the landscape is maintained as part of the historical integrity of the site; ecological restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system; and plant collections or animal habitat areas that are part of botanical gardens.
  • Overhead irrigation timing exception (Section F, Rule 6): the 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. window applies 'unless weather conditions prevent it.'
  • Homeowner association protections (Rule 12(2), tracking Civil Code section 4735): an HOA, common interest development, or community service organization is prohibited from enforcing governing documents or landscaping guidelines that are void under Civil Code section 4735(a) and (b); from imposing or threatening a fine, assessment, or other monetary penalty against an owner for reducing or eliminating watering of vegetation or lawns during a declared drought emergency; and from requiring an owner to reverse or remove water-efficient landscaping measures installed in response to a declared drought emergency once the emergency ends.

Fines and enforcement

  1. No dollar amount is printed anywhere in SFPUC's rules for outdoor watering or water waste violations. The escalation is described by process only.
  2. Step 1, notification (Section E, Rule 12(4)): SFPUC notifies customers and other entities it observes or that are publicly reported to be violating a water waste restriction and advises them of corrective action. Notification methods 'may include letter, phone call, and dispatch of an inspector.'
  3. Step 2, enforcement (Section E, Rule 12(4)): violators 'may be subject to enforcement that could include fines on their water bill, installation of flow restriction devices, injunctions, or other actions as deemed appropriate.' No amount, no first/second/third offense tiering, and no per-day figure is stated.
  4. Landscape irrigation track, step 1 (Section F, Rule 16(b)): the General Manager may issue a written warning, entered on the user's water service record and delivered by mail, personal service, or other reasonable means, including the violation details, education on the restrictions, available resources, and a deadline for correcting the violation.
  5. Landscape irrigation track, step 2 (Section F, Rule 16(c)): if violations are not corrected to the General Manager's satisfaction, the property owner and project applicant are subject to enforcement under SFPUC rules for limitation or termination of service, Chapter 100 of the San Francisco Administrative Code covering administrative penalties, and other available remedies, at the sole discretion of the General Manager.
  6. Rationing charges (Section D, Rule 11): retail paying and nonpaying customers are subject to charges for water resulting from noncompliance with conservation measures imposed under the Commission's rate-setting authority, including 'Excess use charges in the event of mandatory rationing.' No rationing is in effect now, so no such charge applies.
  7. Nonfunctional turf (Section F, Rule 17(h)): noncompliance with AB 1572 (Water Code section 10608.14) is subject to civil liability and penalties set forth in Section 1846 of the Water Code, plus the Rule 16 water waste enforcement path. SFPUC prints no amount of its own.
  8. IMPORTANT correction for anyone reading the same PDF: the figure 'up to $1,000 per violation per day' appears in Section G, Rule 14 (Enforcement, Citations, and Fines). Section G governs cross-connection and backflow prevention under San Francisco Health Code Article 12A. That $1,000 figure does NOT apply to landscape watering or water waste. Do not publish it as a watering fine.
  9. Also note: claims circulating on aggregator sites of a $250 first-offense citation, a $1,000 repeat-offense citation, a 50 percent tier-2 drought surcharge, or citations beginning November 2025 appear nowhere in SFPUC's own rules or pages and should be treated as false.

Report water waste: San Francisco 311. Section E, Rule 12(4) states that 'The SFPUC directs members of the public to report potential instances of water waste or other violations of this Rule through the City's 311 system. SFPUC staff regularly review and respond to reports submitted.' The Prevent Water Waste page directs residents to sf311.org or to call 3-1-1. The same 3-1-1 number is SFPUC's 24-hour hotline for water, power, or sewer emergencies and service problems.

Is this your water supplier?

SFPUC is the retail supplier for the entire City and County of San Francisco, so a San Francisco address is served by SFPUC and no other retailer; immediately south the retailers change to Daly City's municipal water system, the Guadalupe Valley Municipal Improvement District in Brisbane, and North Coast County Water District in Pacifica, each of which sets its own watering rules. The larger confusion risk is regional rather than adjacent: SFPUC wholesales Hetch Hetchy water to 27 cities and public water agencies in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties (Hayward, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Bruno, Millbrae and others, coordinated through BAWSCA), and those customers drink SFPUC water but are governed entirely by their own retailer's watering schedule, not by this page.

Questions people ask

What days can I water in San Francisco?
Any day. SFPUC sets no odd/even schedule by address, no assigned weekdays, and no days-per-week cap for landscape irrigation. The only day-based restriction depends on weather, not the calendar: no watering during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall. SFPUC's advice that watering once or twice a week may be sufficient is written as guidance, and no rule attaches a penalty to exceeding it.
What hours can sprinklers run in San Francisco?
There is no citywide clock restriction on landscape watering for general SFPUC retail customers. Section E, Rule 12 contains no time-of-day provision, and the Prevent Water Waste page lists no prohibited hours. A separate provision in the water efficient irrigation rules, Section F, Rule 6, prints "Overhead irrigation shall be scheduled between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. unless weather conditions prevent it," and also requires irrigation scheduling to be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers. Section F, Rule 1 aims that at Tier 1 rehabilitated landscape projects of 1,000 square feet up to under 2,500 square feet and Tier 2 projects of 500 square feet or more new or 2,500 square feet or more rehabilitated, yet Rule 1(a)(iii) also extends Section F to "The irrigation and maintenance of any landscape irrigation system," so the scope reads two ways in the source document itself. Treat the window as a landscape ordinance provision tied to irrigation system design and operation, not a general curfew, and ask SFPUC's Water Efficient Irrigation Ordinance staff about a specific property.
Is there a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. watering ban or a Level 2 drought stage in San Francisco?
No. A 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. irrigation ban, a "Level 2" status with a 15 percent reduction target, $250 and $1,000 citation tiers, a 50 percent tier-2 drought surcharge, and a claim that citations began in November 2025 all circulate on aggregator sites, and none of it appears in SFPUC's own rules or on any SFPUC page. No drought stage, water shortage level, or water shortage emergency is in effect, and no drought banner or service alert appears on sfpuc.gov.
Can I water when it rains?
No. Section E, Rule 12(1)(e) prohibits "Application of potable water to outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall." This is a permanent restriction that stays in force year round, independent of any drought stage.
What is exempt from San Francisco's watering rules?
There are no drip, hand watering, new planting, edible plant, container pot, hot day, or smart controller exceptions, because SFPUC assigns no watering days or hours and therefore has no schedule to grant exceptions from. The carve-outs sit inside the individual prohibitions instead: hoses are permitted when fitted with a positive shut-off valve; hardscape washing is allowed for health, safety, or to meet City of San Francisco standards for sidewalk cleanliness; eating and drinking establishments can serve drinking water upon request; and construction or dust-control use is prohibited only where recycled water, well water, or groundwater are available, with SFPUC reviewing the fire hydrant meter application. The nonfunctional turf ban does not apply to single-family properties, areas that are the exclusive use of the occupants of an individual dwelling unit, cemeteries, active use areas of parks, sports fields, golf courses, water used to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings, or areas irrigated with recycled water.
What is the fine for water waste in San Francisco?
No dollar amount is printed anywhere in SFPUC's rules for outdoor watering or water waste violations, and the escalation is described by process only. Under Section E, Rule 12(4), SFPUC first notifies customers it observes or that are publicly reported to be violating a restriction and advises them of corrective action, by methods that "may include letter, phone call, and dispatch of an inspector." Violators "may be subject to enforcement that could include fines on their water bill, installation of flow restriction devices, injunctions, or other actions as deemed appropriate." No amount, no first, second or third offense tiering, and no per-day figure is stated.
Does the $1,000 per violation per day fine apply to watering?
No, and this is the most common mix-up in the SFPUC rules document. The figure "up to $1,000 per violation per day" appears in Section G, Rule 14, which governs cross-connection and backflow prevention under San Francisco Health Code Article 12A. It does not apply to landscape watering or water waste, so treat any site publishing it as a San Francisco watering fine as wrong.
My address is in San Francisco. Is SFPUC my water supplier?
Yes. SFPUC is the retail supplier for the entire City and County of San Francisco, including Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, so a San Francisco address is served by SFPUC and no other retailer. Immediately south the retailers change to Daly City's municipal water system, the Guadalupe Valley Municipal Improvement District in Brisbane, and North Coast County Water District in Pacifica, each of which sets its own watering rules. The bigger mix-up is regional rather than adjacent: SFPUC wholesales Hetch Hetchy water to 27 cities and public water agencies in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties, including Hayward, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Bruno and Millbrae, coordinated through BAWSCA. Those households drink SFPUC water but are governed entirely by their own retailer's watering schedule, not by this page.
How do I report water waste in San Francisco?
Use San Francisco 311: submit a report at sf311.org or call 3-1-1. Section E, Rule 12(4) states that "The SFPUC directs members of the public to report potential instances of water waste or other violations of this Rule through the City's 311 system. SFPUC staff regularly review and respond to reports submitted." The same 3-1-1 number is SFPUC's 24-hour hotline for water, power, or sewer emergencies and service problems.

Sources

WateringTimes is an informational gardening and landscape reference for California. Watering numbers are estimates computed from public state data. Nothing on this site is regulatory or professional advice of any kind. Check your water supplier’s current rules before relying on any schedule.