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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Utilities
Meeting Date: June 8, 2026
Report #:2605-6405
TITLE
Approval of the City of Palo Alto's Permanent Water Use Ordinance. CEQA Status: Exempt under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15307 and 15308.
RECOMMENDATION
The Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) and staff recommend that the City Council adopt an ordinance (Attachment A) amending Municipal Code section 12.32.010, Water Use Regulations.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed ordinance updates the City’s water use restrictions to strengthen permanent water conservation measures and align local requirements with State water-efficiency mandates. The ordinance would retain the City’s existing framework for preventing water waste while adding new restrictions on potable water (drinking water) use, particularly for landscape irrigation.
Key updates include the following:
1. Following the State’s phased timeline: Prohibited use of potable water for irrigating nonfunctional turf (decorative grass) at government and commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) properties, including homeowner associations (HOAs) common areas, statewide, as required by AB 1572;
2. Effective upon Ordinance adoption: Prohibited use of potable water on ornamental landscape or turf irrigation between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., except via hand watering with a bucket or a hose with an operating shut-off valve; These updates are intended to reduce water waste and support the City’s compliance with evolving State water conservation laws.
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BACKGROUND
The City has long maintained water waste prevention requirements in Chapter 12.32 (Water Use Regulations) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code to support responsible management of limited water supplies. Existing permanent restrictions already prohibit wasteful actions, such as water use that results in runoff, and irrigation during daytime hours. Since those provisions were adopted, State law and regulations have continued to advance water use efficiency standards. Specifically, Assembly Bill 1572 requires local agencies to prohibit potable water irrigation of nonfunctional turf at government and CII properties, including HOA common areas, on a phased schedule beginning January 1, 2027.
Staff recommends that the City adopt the proposed water ordinance updates concurrently with the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), which includes the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP), to ensure consistency. See Staff Report-2512-5656. The 2025 UWMP includes a description of the City’s water use restrictions ordinance, and the WSCP identifies response actions to be implemented during a water shortage. These actions include enforcement of the City’s permanent water use restrictions, along with increasingly stringent water-use prohibitions for each water shortage level.
Enforcement of all water waste measures is carried out by staff with an education-first approach. Residents can report water waste through the PaloAlto3111 app or call (650) 496- 6968.
ANALYSIS
Staff proposes updating the City’s permanent water use restrictions to align with state- efficiency mandates and local requirements. These updates are:
Prohibition on irrigation of turf or ornamental landscape between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.:
This update revises the existing prohibition on the use of potable water for turf or ornamental landscapes between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to be between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. This is for consistency with Santa Clara Valley Water District regulations. The ordinance amendment is stated below:
The irrigation of turf or ornamental landscapes, which serve purely decorative purposes, and are distinguished from trees, edible gardens or landscapes that provide more than a purely aesthetic function, with potable water shall not be allowed between 910:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., except via hand watering with a bucket or a hose with an operating shutoff valve.
1 Palo Alto 311 https://www.paloalto.gov/311
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Prohibition on the use of potable water for irrigating nonfunctional turf, as required by AB 1572: The proposed updates incorporate the commercial nonfunctional turf watering ban established under California Assembly Bill 1572 (2023) to ensure the City is compliant with state law. AB 1572 prohibits the use of potable water for irrigating nonfunctional turf at government and CII properties, including HOA common areas, statewide. AB 1572 features a phased implementation timeline and requires local governments to adopt or revise ordinances by January 1, 2027. Staff recommends following the phased timeline outlined in the state mandate. The ordinance amendment is stated below:
The use of potable water for the irrigation of nonfunctional turf located on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, other than a cemetery, and on properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities is prohibited as of the following dates:
(i) All properties owned by local governments, local or regional public agencies, and public water systems, beginning January 1, 2027.
(ii) All other institutional properties and all commercial and industrial properties, beginning January 1, 2028.
(iii) All common areas of properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities, beginning January 1, 2029.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision (i), the use of potable water is not prohibited to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial nonturf plantings, or to the extent necessary to address an immediate health and safety need. For the purposes of this subdivision (i), relevant terms have the same meaning as in Section 10608.12 of the Water Code.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Adoption of the ordinance has no direct impact on budget and staff resources, as this work is part of the FY 2026 work plan.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
On March 31, 2026, staff presented the UAC with the proposed water use ordinance amendments. One Commissioner expressed interest in accelerating implementation of AB 1572, the nonfunctional turf ban, by fully implementing it in 2027 rather than using a phased approach and requested clarification on the distinction between decorative and recreational turf for homeowners associations. Staff explained that the proposed approach follows the State’s phased implementation timeline to allow more time for customer communication and reduce confusion.
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On May 6, 2026 the UAC met and discussed this item and recommended that the City Council adopt the draft ordinance as proposed3. One commissioner asked whether AB 1572 requires local governments to update their ordinances to align with state law, and staff confirmed that it does.
Palo Alto communicates water use restrictions through the City’s websites, via bill inserts, and newsletters.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council’s adoption of this ordinance is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15307 and 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines, as an action taken by the City as a regulatory agency for the protection of natural resources and the environment.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Ordinance Amending Municipal Code Sections 12.32.010, Water Use Regulations APPROVED BY:
Alan Kurotori, Director of Utilities
Staff: Linda Grand, Sustainability Programs Administrator (Utilities) 3 Additionally, in the same motion, the UAC also recommended a resolution adopting the 2025 UWMP, a resolution adopting the 2025 WSCP, and that the UAC submit to the Council as additional information a letter from Commissioner Gupta that he sent to the UAC on May 5, 2026 proposing seven in-context edits for inclusion in the City’s 2025 UWMP. Commissioner Gupta’s memo pertains to the Draft UWMP and does not include any suggested edits to the Water Use Restrictions Ordinance.