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WateringTimes

City of San Diego Public Utilities Department

San Diego Watering Schedule

Mandatory hours, no set daysRules verified August 25, 2026

Permanent year-round rules, no set days

  • Water any day of the week; there are no assigned days and no odd/even address rule.
  • No irrigation from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
  • No watering during rain or for 48 hours after measurable rainfall (1/8 inch or more).
  • The former 3-days-per-week drought schedule was repealed effective July 15, 2026.
  • No Water Shortage Level is declared; future shortages would trigger declared Levels 1-6.

San Diego has no assigned watering days. The City of San Diego Public Utilities Department enforces permanent year-round rules: no irrigating landscapes, potted plants, or vegetable gardens between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., so water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on any day. Watering is also prohibited during rain and for 48 hours after measurable rainfall, defined as 1/8 inch or more at the nearest reporting weather station. The former 3-days-per-week drought schedule was repealed effective July 15, 2026.

How many minutes on each watering day

City of San Diego Public Utilities Department 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 Diego's climate for the month you pick.

Climate data

San Diego · 47.9 in/yr

About 29 minutes per watering day, 2 days a week.

How that was worked out

Week's climate demand: 5.9 in for July × 7 ÷ 31 days = 1.332 in

Plants need: 1.332 × 0.8 = 1.066 in this week

Run time: 1.066 ÷ (1.6 in/hr × 0.7) × 60 = 57 min per week

Split: 57 ÷ 2 watering days = 29 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 Water Shortage Level declared. Permanent year-round Water Waste Prohibitions (SDMC sec. 67.3803) apply. The 2026 code rewrite (O-22105, effective 7/15/2026) repealed the former Drought Response Levels 1-4 and replaced them with Water Shortage Levels 1-6 declared via the Water Shortage Contingency Plan; none is in effect per the city's current pages.

The schedule

Year-round (permanent)

No seasonal date ranges; rules apply all year (SDMC sec. 67.3803, 7-2026 code print)

Days: No assigned days, no odd/even rule, no days-per-week limit. Former 3-days-per-week drought rules were repealed effective 7/15/2026 by O-22105.

Hours: Irrigating potted plants, non-commercial vegetable gardens and fruit trees, and residential and commercial landscapes (including golf courses, parks, school grounds and recreation fields) is prohibited from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. City page phrases it: may only be watered before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Also prohibited during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall (1/8 inch or more at nearest reporting weather station).

Run-time limits: None in current code. Former per-station minute limits existed only in the repealed drought-level sections.

Exemptions and always-on rules

  • May irrigate at ANY time (SDMC sec. 67.3803(l)(1)-(6)): as required by a landscape permit
  • for erosion control
  • for establishment, repair, or renovation of public use fields for schools and parks
  • for landscape establishment following a disaster (permitted up to two months, then a hardship variance under sec. 67.3806 is required)
  • for renovation or repair of an irrigation system with an operator present
  • for nursery and commercial growers using a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, a hand-held container, or a drip or micro-irrigation system; irrigation of nursery propagation beds is permitted at any time
  • Division does not apply to private wells, reclaimed water, or gray water systems (sec. 67.3804(e))
  • Division does not apply to water under special agricultural supply programs (Metropolitan Interim Agricultural Water Program, Water Authority Special Agricultural Rate Programs) (sec. 67.3804(f))
  • Division does not apply to areas serviced by the Parks and Recreation Department, including public right-of-way and street trees (sec. 67.3804(i))
  • Non-functional turf irrigation ban for commercial/industrial/institutional properties (sec. 67.3803(a), per CWC 10608.14 / AB 1572) does not apply to turf irrigated with recycled water or to functional turf
  • 48-hour rainfall ban and runoff ban apply to potable water; general water-waste prohibitions allow actions necessary for immediate health and safety or a state/federal permit condition
  • Note: resident hand-watering with a shutoff nozzle is NOT listed as an any-time exception in the current code; the 10 a.m.-6 p.m. window still governs

Fines and enforcement

  1. Step 1: Warning notification (used when a violation cannot be verified or evidence does not link the waste to the customer)
  2. Step 2: Notice of Violation - no monetary penalty; issued during declared droughts to inform the owner of the violation and potential penalties
  3. Step 3: Administrative Citations, escalating per the city's enforcement page: $100, $250, $500, $750 and $1,000 (prose on same page: fines of $100, $250, $500 and up to $1,000); assessed per property, escalating with repeat violations
  4. Step 4: Referral to the City Attorney's Office for civil or criminal prosecution
  5. Step 5: Shutting off water service (SDMC sec. 67.3807 also authorizes flow-restricting devices for willful violations); used only when other measures prove ineffective

Report water waste: Get It Done app or website (photo/video encouraged); email waterwaste@sandiego.gov; phone 619-533-5271 (enforcement page). The restrictions page also lists Public Utilities customer care 619-515-3500 / customercare@sandiego.gov.

Is this your water supplier?

Adjacent/nearby retailers whose customers may confuse boundaries: California American Water (Coronado, Imperial Beach), Sweetwater Authority (National City, Bonita, west Chula Vista), Otay Water District (east Chula Vista, Otay Mesa edge), Helix Water District (La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove), Padre Dam MWD (Santee), City of Poway, Olivenhain MWD (4S Ranch), Santa Fe Irrigation District (Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe), San Dieguito Water District (Encinitas), City of Del Mar.

Questions people ask

What days can I water in San Diego?
Any day of the week. The current city code has no assigned days, no odd/even address rule, and no days-per-week limit. The former 3-days-per-week drought rules were repealed effective July 15, 2026 by ordinance O-22105.
What hours can sprinklers run?
Irrigation is prohibited from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-round. The city phrases it as watering before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. This applies to residential and commercial landscapes, including golf courses, parks, school grounds and recreation fields, as well as potted plants, non-commercial vegetable gardens and fruit trees.
Can I hand-water my plants in the afternoon?
The current code does not list resident hand watering with a shutoff nozzle as an any-time exception, so the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. window still governs. The any-time allowance for a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle applies to nursery and commercial growers.
What watering is exempt from the time restrictions?
Watering at any time is permitted as required by a landscape permit, for erosion control, for establishment or repair of public use fields at schools and parks, for landscape establishment after a disaster (up to two months), and for irrigation system repair or renovation with an operator present. Nursery and commercial growers are also permitted to water at any time with a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, a hand-held container, or drip or micro-irrigation, and nursery propagation beds can be irrigated at any time. The rules do not apply to private wells, reclaimed water, or gray water systems.
What happens when it rains?
No irrigation during rainfall and for 48 hours after measurable rainfall. The city defines measurable rainfall as 1/8 inch or more at the nearest reporting weather station.
What is the fine for wasting water in San Diego?
Enforcement escalates per property. It starts with a warning notification, then a Notice of Violation with no monetary penalty, then administrative citations of $100, $250, $500, $750 and $1,000 for repeat violations. Beyond that, the city can refer the case to the City Attorney's Office and ultimately shut off water service; the code also authorizes flow-restricting devices for willful violations.
I read that San Diego waters 3 days a week on assigned days. Is that still true?
No. Ordinance O-22105, effective July 15, 2026, repealed the former Drought Response Levels that carried the 3-days-per-week limits, assigned weekdays, and per-station minute limits. Many blogs and older pages still show those rules, but the binding rules today are the permanent water waste prohibitions with no set days.
My address says San Diego but my bill names a different water company. Which rules apply?
Follow the supplier named on your bill; these rules cover City of San Diego Public Utilities customers. Nearby retailers with their own rules include California American Water (Coronado, Imperial Beach), Sweetwater Authority (National City, Bonita, west Chula Vista), Otay Water District, Helix Water District (La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove), Padre Dam MWD (Santee), City of Poway, Olivenhain MWD (4S Ranch), Santa Fe Irrigation District, San Dieguito Water District (Encinitas), and City of Del Mar.
How do I report water waste in San Diego?
Use the Get It Done app or website, and include photo or video if you can. You can also email waterwaste@sandiego.gov or call 619-533-5271; Public Utilities customer care is at 619-515-3500 or customercare@sandiego.gov.

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.