Municipal Code Update
for AB 1572 Compliance
Prohibition of potable water
use for non-functional turf
1 City of Paso Robles – Utilities Department
Assembly Bill 1572
• Prohibits use of potable water for irrigation of non-functional turf on certain properties:
Applies to: Does not apply to:
• Public & local government
properties
• Commercial, Industrial &
Institutional properties
• HOA common areas and
common interest developments
• Residential property
• Recreational or gathering areas
• Cemeteries, parks, golf courses,
and sports fields
• Areas where potable water is
needed for tree health
2 AB 1572 Implementation
• Public water systems must:
communicate requirements to customers, and
revise water service rules to implement the prohibition before January 2027.
• Property owners must comply with phased
implementation:
– Public & Local Government: Jan 1, 2027
– Comm., Ind., Other Institutional: Jan 1, 2028
– HOA, common interest development: Jan 1, 2029
3 Functional Turf
4 Non-functional Turf
5 Implementation & Compliance
Notify Public
Revise Water
Use Policy
Public & Local
Government
Properties
Prohibitions Effective
6 Notification & Outreach
City Webpage
Dedicated online resources linking customers to information, deadlines, compliance guidance
Outreach and Customer Notification
Direct mail and email notifications to affected property owners, account holders and industry groups outlining requirements and resources Workshops & Partnerships
Compliance workshops and coordination with customers and local landscape managers regarding requirements, conversions, etc.
Turf Replacement Rebates
City incentive program available to offset conversion of turf to drought-tolerant landscaping (all turf conversions)
7 Compliance for City Properties
• Site evaluations and classification of areas
• Develop site-specific strategies
a) Cease irrigation of non-functional turf while
maintaining tree health
b) Convert turf to drought-tolerant landscaping
c) Document qualifying functional turf areas
• Recommendations and prioritization of
improvements
8 Enforcement
• State has primary enforcement authority
– self-certification process beginning 2030
– civil penalties up to $1,000 per day
• Local water systems, cities and counties have option to enforce
• Staff recommends continued focus on education and
outreach, not fines for violation
9 Fiscal Considerations
• Adoption of ordinance will have no immediate budget
impact for Water Fund beyond outreach & incentives
costs, staff time.
• Reduced water use will reduce Water Fund revenue
during implementation.
• Costs related to compliance at City facilities and
landscape districts are anticipated.
10 City Implementation
Notify public: (on-going)
Adopt changes to Municipal Code (Title 14)
• Introduction/ 1st Reading: 8/18/26
• 2nd Reading/ Adoption: 9/1/26
Compliance with prohibition
• In-progress – updates forthcoming
Self-certification
• Anticipated beginning 2030
11 Recommendation
• Introduce for First Reading by Title Only, Ordinance XXXX N.S., amending Title 14 of the City of El Paso de Robles Municipal Code for California Assembly Bill 1572 Compliance.
12 https://www.prcity.com/NonFunctionalTurf
Supporting Slides
13 Notification & Outreach
https://www.prcity.com/1279/Prohibition-of-Non-functional-Turf 14 15