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WateringTimes

City of West Sacramento

West Sacramento Watering Schedule

Mandatory scheduleRules verified August 25, 2026

Your watering days

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

Year-round (permanent schedule). Water before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. No watering on Monday.

No seasonal change: the permanent schedule, effective June 10, 2022, applies all year regardless of drought conditions.

City of West Sacramento addresses water three days a week, all year. Odd-numbered addresses water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; even-numbered addresses on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and no one waters on Monday. Landscape irrigation does not run between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on any day. Drip irrigation is exempt from both the day and hour limits, and the schedule does not change with the seasons or drought stages.

How many minutes on each watering day

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

Climate data

West Sacramento · 54.9 in/yr

Watering days allowed this month

3 per week (all year)

About 27 minutes per watering day, 3 days a week.

That splits the week across the 3 days City of West Sacramento 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 ÷ 3 watering days = 27 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

Permanent Watering Schedule (year-round, effective June 10, 2022; Municipal Code 13.04.790). No drought stage currently in effect. The Stage 2 Water Shortage was terminated March 23, 2023, and the city states the permanent schedule applies regardless of drought conditions.

The schedule

Year-round (permanent schedule, no seasonal variation)

All year, every year, effective June 10, 2022

Days: 3 days per week by address parity: odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; even-numbered addresses water Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. No outdoor watering on Monday (Municipal Code 13.04.790(B)).

Hours: No landscape irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. (watering allowed only 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.) (Municipal Code 13.04.790(C)).

Run-time limits: None in the ordinance. The city's Drought Monitor page offers non-binding advice to keep lawn runtimes under 15 minutes per start and use cycle-and-soak.

Exemptions and always-on rules

  • Drip irrigation / low volume irrigation systems (exempt from both day and hour limits, 13.04.790(D))
  • Container plants (potted plants)
  • New landscaping subject to the city's Water Efficient Landscaping Code (Chapter 13.04, Article 12)
  • Special Landscape Areas: areas dedicated solely to edible plants, recreational areas, areas irrigated with recycled water, or water features using recycled water (13.04.760 definition; city web page lists 'Recreational areas' as an exemption)
  • Vehicle washing with a hose is allowed any time if the hose has an automatic shut-off nozzle in use (13.04.760(4))
  • Spot-hosing of hardscape for health and safety reasons is acceptable; water-conserving spray cleaning devices (pressure washers) are permitted (a simple spray nozzle does not qualify) (13.04.760(9) and city Water Waste page)
  • Water use for extinguishing fire or similar emergencies is exempt from the entire article (13.04.850)
  • NOT exempt: hand watering has no listed exemption; watering during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall (0.125 inch or more) is prohibited even on your watering day (13.04.760(6))

Fines and enforcement

  1. 1st confirmed written notice within a 12-month period: no penalty (warning notice)
  2. 2nd confirmed written notice within a 12-month period: no penalty (warning notice)
  3. 3rd violation during any 12-month period: written notice to owner and occupant plus $200 penalty
  4. 4th and any successive violations during any 12-month period: written notice to owner and occupant plus $500 penalty
  5. Ordinance details (13.04.800): violations on separate calendar days count as separate violations; penalty amounts are set in the city's book of fees; penalties are imposed on the property owner regardless of who committed the violation; the city may also disconnect water service for noncompliance (13.04.770(B)); appeals per Chapter 1.08 (13.04.810)

Report water waste: West Sacramento Connect app/portal (choose a topic, fill out a request), or the Water Waste Line at (916) 617-4545 (have the address, date observed, and type of issue ready). General water conservation questions: Sustainability division, (916) 617-4590.

Is this your water supplier?

City of Sacramento Department of Utilities serves addresses across the Sacramento River in Sacramento proper (different schedule, 2 days/week); Sacramento Suburban Water District and Cal-Am serve Sacramento County suburbs; unincorporated Yolo County and the City of Davis have their own rules. West Sacramento's schedule applies only to City of West Sacramento water customers.

Questions people ask

What days can I water in West Sacramento?
Odd-numbered addresses water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Even-numbered addresses water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. No outdoor watering is allowed on Monday for anyone, and the schedule is the same all year.
What hours can sprinklers run?
Landscape irrigation is not allowed between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on any day, so water between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. on your assigned days. The ordinance sets no minute limit per station, but the city advises keeping lawn runtimes under 15 minutes per start and using cycle-and-soak.
Does the schedule change in winter or when the drought ends?
No. This is a permanent year-round schedule, effective June 10, 2022, and the city states it applies regardless of drought conditions. The Stage 2 Water Shortage was terminated March 23, 2023, and the schedule stayed in place.
What is exempt from the day and hour rules?
Drip and other low volume irrigation is exempt from both the day and hour limits. Container plants, new landscaping subject to the city's Water Efficient Landscaping Code, and special landscape areas such as edible gardens, recreational areas and landscapes irrigated with recycled water are also exempt. Hand watering has no listed exemption, so it follows the same days and hours.
Can I wash my car or hose my driveway?
Vehicle washing with a hose is allowed at any time if the hose has an automatic shut-off nozzle in use. Hardscape like driveways can only be spot-hosed for health and safety reasons or cleaned with a water-conserving pressure washer; a simple spray nozzle does not qualify.
What is the fine for watering on the wrong day?
The first and second confirmed written notices within a 12-month period carry no penalty. The third violation in any 12-month period brings a written notice to the owner and occupant plus a $200 penalty, and the fourth and each later violation brings $500. Penalties fall on the property owner regardless of who committed the violation, violations on separate calendar days count separately, and the city can also disconnect water service for noncompliance.
Can I water when it rains?
No. Watering during measurable rainfall of 0.125 inch or more, or within 48 hours after it, is prohibited even on your assigned watering day. The rule comes from the city's water waste ordinance, Municipal Code 13.04.760.
My address says Sacramento. Do these rules apply to me?
Only if the City of West Sacramento is your water supplier; the schedule covers all city water customers, including the Broderick, Bryte and Southport areas. Across the Sacramento River, the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities runs a different 2 days/week schedule, Sacramento Suburban Water District and Cal-Am serve Sacramento County suburbs, and Davis and unincorporated Yolo County have their own rules.
How do I report water waste in West Sacramento?
Use the West Sacramento Connect app or portal, choose a topic and fill out a request, or call the Water Waste Line at (916) 617-4545. Have the address, the date you observed it, and the type of issue ready. For general water conservation questions, call the Sustainability division at (916) 617-4590.

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.