Watering days in Los Angeles: odd, even and eight minutes
LADWP watering days follow the last number of your street address: odd addresses water Monday, Wednesday and Friday; even addresses water Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. No outdoor watering runs between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
From the Plumbing Across L.A. desk. Updated .
The City of Los Angeles is in Phase 2 of its water conservation plan as of November 2026. LADWP says more than 80 percent of its water is imported, which is the reasoning behind these rules. They apply to LADWP customers. Separate utilities in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Long Beach, Inglewood and Santa Monica set their own.
What are the LADWP watering days?
Your days come from the last number of your address, and there are three of them a week.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Address ending in an odd number | Monday, Wednesday, Friday |
| Address ending in an even number | Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday |
| Typical sprinklers | One cycle, up to 8 minutes per station, per watering day |
| Conserving-nozzle sprinklers | Two 15-minute cycles per watering day |
| All outdoor watering | Not from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Hand watering, self-closing nozzle | Any day, before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. |
| Washing a vehicle | Only with a self-closing shut-off nozzle on the hose |
| Hard surfaces | No watering sidewalks, walkways, driveways or parking areas |
| Runoff | None onto streets, driveways or gutters |
| Leaks | Repair them in a timely manner |
How does the 8-minute rule add up?
It adds up to 24 minutes per station a week on a typical system, by this paper's arithmetic: 3 days × 8 minutes. A conserving-nozzle system gets 90 minutes per station a week: 3 days × 2 cycles × 15 minutes. LADWP calls the first kind the "typical residential system."
If you can't tell which nozzles you have, look up the model or ask whoever installed them. If you want the longer allowance, LADWP's rebate list pays up to $6 per rotating nozzle, with a minimum of 15, and also has weather-based controller rebates. Check that your nozzle qualifies under the watering rule as well as the rebate.
A timer can lose its schedule after a power cut, so read yours when you check the rules. A wrong schedule shows up on the bill at your highest tier, and a broken head can look just like a leak.
What are the fines for breaking LADWP watering rules?
In Phase 2, a house with a meter under two inches gets a written warning first, then fines of $100, $200 and $300, and a fifth violation brings a flow restriction. LADWP says no monetary citation comes without a prior warning.
| Stage | Meter under 2 inches | Meter 2 inches and larger |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Written warning, $0 | Written warning, $0 |
| 2nd | $100 | $200 |
| 3rd | $200 | $400 |
| 4th | $300 | $600 |
| 5th | Flow restriction | Flow restriction |
Fines rise with each phase; under-2-inch meters would pay $200, $400 and $600 in Phase 3. LADWP's Water Conservation Response Unit takes water waste reports with an address, date, time and short description.
Do the drought rules ever change?
Yes. The Emergency Water Conservation Plan Ordinance has six phases, and the restrictions tighten with each. The fine table runs through Phase 5, with Phase 6 left to board authority. Check LADWP's page if you hear about a phase change.
A customer with special circumstances, such as a physical disability that prevents compliance, may apply to LADWP for a temporary variance. Large landscapes and sports fields have a separate alternative compliance route, and neither is automatic.
LADWP's page doesn't list every watering method by name. If you have drip lines or something else the table doesn't mention, ask LADWP rather than assume, or read the ordinance. "Include but are not limited to" is the utility's wording, too.
On your street
- Hills & Eastside Runoff comes easily on a steep street, so look at the gutter after a cycle.
- The Valley LADWP's days and limits apply here, and summer heat doesn't change them.
- Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank Their utilities write their own watering rules, so check there instead.
- Westside & Beach Santa Monica sets its own rules; in West Hollywood and Culver City, check whose bill you get first.
- South L.A. & Inglewood LADWP rules cover the City of Los Angeles neighborhoods, while Inglewood is a separate city.
- Long Beach & Harbor San Pedro and Wilmington follow LADWP's days; Long Beach has its own utility.
Who handles this
- LADWPWatering days, phases, fines and variance requests
- LADWP Water Conservation Response UnitWater waste reports
Questions that come up
Is hand watering allowed on an off day?
Yes, with a self-closing shut-off nozzle on the hose, before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
Does a warning cost anything?
No. The first notice is a written warning at $0 in every phase up through Phase 5.
Is washing a car at home allowed?
Yes, with a self-closing shut-off nozzle on the hose. LADWP bars washing vehicles without one.
What about hosing down the driveway?
LADWP's rules bar watering hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways and parking areas.
What this was checked against
- Watering days, restrictions, phases, variances and fine tables: LADWP
- Reporting water waste: LADWP
- Nozzle and controller rebates: LADWP
Sources read in November 2026. Rules and prices change: check the agency before you act.