Stockton watering schedule 2026

On City of Stockton water, exterior irrigation is limited to two days per week by address number under SMC 13.28.035(A): even numbered addresses water Wednesday and Sunday, odd numbered addresses water Tuesday and Saturday, and parcels that do not have a street address water Wednesday and Sunday. The City page states the same rule by last digit, grouping addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 with Sunday and Wednesday, and addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 with Tuesday and Saturday. No exterior irrigation is permitted on Monday, Thursday or Friday. This is standing ordinance text that applies on its own and does not depend on any stage declaration, so the two day limit is mandatory every week of the year.

SMC 13.28.035(A)(5) prohibits exterior irrigation between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the City page states it as outdoor watering allowed before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on your assigned days. That window does not change by season, and there is no run time cap either: neither SMC Chapter 13.28 nor the City water conservation page sets a per station run time, and neither sets any limit that varies by nozzle or sprinkler type. Some readers find an 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. window in SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(a) for May 1st to November 1st, and a line in SMC 13.28.040 saying that from November 1st through April 30th no restriction as to the hours of irrigation shall be imposed. That winter carve out reaches only SMC 13.28.030. Section 13.28.035 opens with the words "Notwithstanding any other provision of this code" and was adopted later, so its 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ban and its two day per week assignment stay in force in every month, and the City publishes only the 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. window with no seasonal exception.

Yes. SMC 13.28.030(A)(4) makes it unlawful to use water for watering lawns in a manner that causes runoff, or within 48 hours after measurable precipitation, and the City conservation page states the same rule as watering outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall. Subsection (A) carries no seasonal limit, so the 48 hour rain rule applies in every month, not just in the May 1 to November 1 period.

SMC 13.28.030(A) makes four more uses unlawful in every month: hosing off sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes; washing automobiles or boats with hoses not equipped with a shut-off nozzle; using non-recirculated water in a fountain or other decorative water feature; and irrigating ornamental turf on public street medians. Pools have their own rule: SMC 13.28.030(C) bars draining or refilling any existing pool between June 1st and October 1st except for protection of public health and safety, and the City requires written authorization from the Municipal Utilities Department in that window through the online Drain or Refill Pool Request or by calling (209) 937-7031 and pressing 5. The City's Ask Stockton page states new pools can be filled at any time, and all pool water must be discharged into a sanitary sewer per SMC 13.08.180.

The code does not say, and that gap is worth knowing about. Drip and mist irrigation systems are listed as an exception at SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(c)(i), and SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(c)(ii) states that during the initial 21 day period of establishment for new plantings the 13.28.030 irrigation regulations do not apply. Both exceptions sit inside SMC 13.28.030, which covers the hours rule, while SMC 13.28.035, the section that carries the day of week limits, prints no exception of its own. Two other carve outs exist: SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(c)(iii) allows an exception for uses that cannot reasonably meet the regulations because of the large size, normal hours of use, or type of use of the area irrigated, once the Director of Municipal Utilities approves a water conservation plan, and SMC 13.28.030(B)(9) states the regulations do not apply when the water source is other than a public water system or a groundwater aquifer used by a public water system.

No. The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-05-21-1206 on May 21, 2024, which approved findings and declared that a Stage 2 Water Shortage Emergency no longer exists, and that resolution has not been repealed or superseded. The City water conservation page now presents Stage 1 Mandatory Water Conservation as the condition in force, which under SMC 13.32.060(A) simply means the Water Conservation Ordinance, SMC Chapter 13.28, is enforceable as to all water users. That matters for penalties: the flow restricting device, removal charges and excess use charge in SMC 13.32.100 attach once a water shortage emergency is declared, and no such emergency is in effect now.

The first violation brings a written notice, not a dollar amount. SMC 13.28.050(A) through (C) requires a written notice describing the violation, delivered to the premises by personal service or first class mail and posted at the premises, with a copy mailed to the person who is regularly billed, ordering the violation corrected, cured or abated immediately or within a period the City believes is reasonable. On a second violation or a failure to correct, SMC 13.28.050(D) requires a second notice and imposes a surcharge of $100.00 per day for each day the violation continues, which may be added to the next regular billing for water service. SMC 13.28.090 also makes any violation of Chapter 13.28 an infraction with each day a separate offense, though the code prints no dollar amount for the infraction itself. Beyond that, SMC 13.28.060 lets the Director issue a cease and desist order and SMC 13.28.070 lets the Director discontinue water service after at least 10 days written notice and a hearing, with an appeal to the City Manager within 10 days under SMC 13.28.080.

Not necessarily, so check the name on your water bill first. The City's Municipal Utilities page states that the Water Utility serves more than 50,000 connections in north and south Stockton and that properties in central Stockton receive water services from California Water Service, and the City's Ask Stockton utilities page states that the City bills water, sewer and storm water for about half of the City's residents while California Water Service Company serves the rest. Cal Water customers follow Cal Water's own rules, not SMC 13.28.035: its outdoor watering page prohibits watering between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on all days for all customers, and it names day of week limits only for Visalia and Westlake, so central Stockton gets the same daytime ban but no assigned watering days. To confirm which provider serves a given parcel, use the City's About Your Address lookup at https://stocktongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=5c47e2e3f5a447c286de003ee52d51a2.

For addresses in the City of Stockton service area, use the Ask Stockton "Water Wasting" request form at https://user.govoutreach.com/stockton/faq.php?cid=10311, call (209) 937-8341, or email WaterFacts@stocktonca.gov. The Ask Stockton page states that water wasting should be reported to the three water service providers serving Stockton, so if your address is on another provider, report it to that provider instead. Other City numbers are separate: smart meter questions go to (209) 937-5001, and utility start, stop and billing is (209) 937-8295 or utilities@stocktonca.gov.