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WateringTimes

City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department

Stockton Watering Schedule

Mandatory scheduleRules verified August 28, 2026

Your watering days

Wednesday and Sunday (addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8, and parcels with no street address)

Year round, City of Stockton Municipal Utilities water customers. Water only before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. No exterior irrigation is permitted on Monday, Thursday or Friday.

No seasonal dates are printed, so the same days and hours run all year, winter included. Central Stockton addresses served by California Water Service have no assigned days, and for them watering is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on all days.

City of Stockton water customers water two days a week by address number: even numbered addresses on Wednesday and Sunday, odd numbered addresses on Tuesday and Saturday, and no exterior irrigation on Monday, Thursday or Friday. Exterior irrigation is prohibited between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., so run sprinklers before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on your two days. No date range is printed for this schedule, so it runs January 1 through December 31. A second layer of year round prohibitions applies in every month on top of the day schedule, including no watering lawns in a manner that causes runoff, or within 48 hours after measurable precipitation. Central Stockton is served by California Water Service instead, which has the same 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban but no assigned watering days.

How many minutes on each watering day

Knowing the days is half the answer. This works out the minutes from Stockton's climate for the month you pick, then splits them across the days City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department allows, so the schedule fits the rules instead of fighting them.

Climate data

Stockton · 54.6 in/yr

Watering days allowed this month

2 per week (2 days per week, assigned by address (even Wed and Sun, odd Tue and Sat))

About 41 minutes per watering day, 2 days a week.

That splits the week across the 2 days City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department allows in July, so the schedule fits the rules instead of fighting them.

How that was worked out

Week's climate demand: 8.5 in for July × 7 ÷ 31 days = 1.919 in

Plants need: 1.919 × 0.8 = 1.535 in this week

Run time: 1.535 ÷ (1.6 in/hr × 0.7) × 60 = 82 min per week

Split: 82 ÷ 2 watering days = 41 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

Stage 1 Mandatory Water Conservation. 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. That resolution has not been repealed or superseded, and the City water conservation page (last updated 02/03/2026) still presents Stage 1 Mandatory Water Conservation as the condition in force. Stage 1 is defined at SMC 13.32.060(A) as meaning the Water Conservation Ordinance, SMC Chapter 13.28, is enforceable as to all water users. Separately, the two day per week schedule in SMC 13.28.035 is standing ordinance text that applies on its own and does not depend on any stage declaration.

The schedule

Year round day and hour limit (the operative landscape watering rule)

No date range is printed. SMC 13.28.035 opens with the words "Notwithstanding any other provision of this code" and states no seasonal start or end, so it runs January 1 through December 31. The City water conservation page publishes the same schedule with no seasonal qualifier.

Days: SMC 13.28.035(A) as printed: even numbered addresses, exterior irrigation permitted only on Wednesday and Sunday; odd numbered addresses, exterior irrigation permitted only on Tuesday and Saturday; parcels that do not have a street address, exterior irrigation permitted only on Wednesday and Sunday; no exterior irrigation permitted on Monday, Thursday, or Friday. The City web page states the same rule by last digit: Sunday and Wednesday for addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and properties without a designated street number; Tuesday and Saturday for addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9; Monday, Thursday and Friday no outdoor watering permitted.

Hours: SMC 13.28.035(A)(5): exterior irrigation is prohibited between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The City page states it as outdoor watering allowed before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on the assigned days.

Run-time limits: None. 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.

Summer period extra prohibitions

May 1st to November 1st of each year, as printed in SMC 13.28.030(B)

Days: This subsection sets no day of week rule. The two day per week assignment in SMC 13.28.035 governs the days throughout this period.

Hours: SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(a) prints an irrigation ban between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The wider 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ban in SMC 13.28.035 controls, because 13.28.035 applies notwithstanding any other provision of the code and was adopted later (Ord. 2022-07-12-1503 C.S.). The City web page publishes only the 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. window.

Run-time limits: None stated.

Winter period

November 1st through April 30th, as printed in SMC 13.28.040

Days: No seasonal change. The two day per week assignment in SMC 13.28.035 continues to apply.

Hours: SMC 13.28.040 states that during this period the SMC 13.28.030 prohibitions apply "except that no restriction as to the hours of irrigation shall be imposed." That carve out reaches only 13.28.030. SMC 13.28.035 keeps the 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ban in force, and the City page publishes the before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. window with no winter exception.

Run-time limits: None stated.

Exemptions and always-on rules

  • Year round, and separate from the watering-day schedule, 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." Subsection (A) carries no seasonal limit, so the 48 hour rain rule applies in every month, not only during the May 1 to November 1 schedule. The City conservation page states the same rule as watering outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
  • Year round: SMC 13.28.030(A)(1) makes "Hosing off sidewalks, driveways, and other hardscapes" unlawful.
  • Year round: SMC 13.28.030(A)(2) makes "Washing automobiles or boats with hoses not equipped with a shut-off nozzle" unlawful.
  • Year round: SMC 13.28.030(A)(3) makes "Using non-recirculated water in a fountain or other decorative water feature" unlawful.
  • Year round: SMC 13.28.030(A)(5) makes "Irrigating ornamental turf on public street medians" unlawful.
  • Drip and mist irrigation systems are listed as an exception at SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(c)(i). That exception sits inside 13.28.030, which covers the hours rule. Section 13.28.035, which carries the day of week limits, prints no exception of its own.
  • New plantings: 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.
  • Director approved conservation plan: SMC 13.28.030(B)(2)(c)(iii) allows an exception for other uses that cannot reasonably meet the regulations because of the large size, normal hours of use, or type of use of the area to be irrigated, once the Director of Municipal Utilities approves a water conservation plan that meets the goals of reduction and conservation.
  • Water source outside a public system: SMC 13.28.030(B)(9) states the regulations do not apply to users or uses when the source of water is other than a public water system as defined in California Code of Regulations Section 64555(a)(23), or a groundwater aquifer used by a public water system.
  • Non functional turf carve outs: SMC 13.28.035(B) bans potable water for irrigating non functional turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional sites, but the section states water is not prohibited to the extent needed to keep trees and other perennial non turf plantings healthy, or to the extent needed to address an immediate health and safety need. Sports fields and turf regularly used for human recreation or for civic or community events are excluded from the definition of non functional turf.
  • Swimming pools: 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. The City requires written authorization from the Municipal Utilities Department in that window, requested through the online Drain or Refill Pool Request or by calling (209) 937-7031 and pressing 5. The City Ask Stockton page states new pools can be filled at any time. All pool water must be discharged into a sanitary sewer per SMC 13.08.180.

Fines and enforcement

  1. First violation: 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. The notice orders the violation corrected, cured or abated immediately or within a period the City believes is reasonable.
  2. Second violation or 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. The surcharge may be added to the next regular billing for water service.
  3. Infraction: SMC 13.28.090 makes any violation of Chapter 13.28 an infraction, with each day the violation continues a separate offense, in addition to the surcharge and the service shutoff process. The code prints no dollar amount for the infraction itself, so any citation amount would come from the state infraction schedule rather than from Chapter 13.28.
  4. Citation authority: SMC 13.28.100 gives the Director of Municipal Utilities and delegated representatives the powers of a law enforcement officer for this chapter, including arrest without warrant under Penal Code Section 836.5 followed by citation and release under Penal Code Section 853.6.
  5. Service shutoff: 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. SMC 13.28.080 routes an appeal to the City Manager within 10 days.
  6. Flow restrictors and excess use charges: SMC 13.32.100 allows a flow restricting device after one written warning (48 hours minimum on the first installation, at least two weeks on a repeat), removal charges set by City Council resolution, and an excess use charge for exceeding an allocation. Those attach once a water shortage emergency is declared at any stage under SMC 13.32.010 and 13.32.020(E); only the extra prohibitions in SMC 13.32.040 are expressly limited to Stages 2 through 6. No emergency is declared now, and no such emergency is in effect.

Report water waste: Report water wasting through the Ask Stockton "Water Wasting" request form at https://user.govoutreach.com/stockton/faq.php?cid=10311, by phone at (209) 937-8341, or by email to WaterFacts@stocktonca.gov. The Ask Stockton page states that water wasting should be reported to the three water service providers serving Stockton, and that the phone number, email and request form above are for reports within the City of Stockton service area. General Municipal Utilities and smart meter questions go to (209) 937-5001 for smart meter questions, while utility start, stop and billing is (209) 937-8295 or utilities@stocktonca.gov. Pool drain or refill authorization requests go through the online Drain or Refill Pool Request form or (209) 937-7031, press 5. Note that the City conservation page itself lists WaterFacts@stocktonca.gov for requesting a conservation kit; the water wasting address comes from the Ask Stockton request page.

Is this your water supplier?

The City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department is not the only retail water provider inside Stockton city limits. The City's own 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." 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 and that California Water Service Company (CalWater) serves the City's remaining residents. Cal Water runs this territory as its Stockton District, supplied by local groundwater plus treated water purchased from Stockton East Water District. Cal Water customers follow Cal Water's own rules and schedule, not SMC 13.28.035. The City's Ask Stockton water wasting page refers to "the three water service providers serving Stockton" but does not name the third. The Stockton Area Water Suppliers (SAWS) partnership, which the City links from its conservation page, lists four members: Stockton East Water District, Cal Water Service Company, San Joaquin County, and the City of Stockton. Stockton East Water District is a regional and wholesale supplier of treated surface water from New Melones and New Hogan Reservoirs to both the City and Cal Water rather than a house by house retailer, and San Joaquin County operates water systems in county areas around the city. Residents can confirm which provider serves a given parcel through the City's "About Your Address" lookup at https://stocktongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=5c47e2e3f5a447c286de003ee52d51a2. California Water Service is at its own Stage 1: its outdoor watering page states that watering is prohibited 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, not for Stockton. So Cal Water customers in central Stockton get the same daytime ban but no assigned watering days.

Questions people ask

What days can I water in Stockton right now?
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.
What hours can I water, and does that change by season?
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.
Do I have to skip my watering day after it rains?
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.
What else is banned year round, no matter which day it is?
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.
Are drip irrigation or new plantings exempt from the watering days?
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.
Is Stockton still in a water shortage emergency?
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.
What is the fine for watering on the wrong day?
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.
My address is in Stockton, but is the City my water provider?
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.
How do I report water waste in Stockton?
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.

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.