1 City Council Meeting: October 27, 2026 Santa Monica, California ORDINANCE NUMBER_______ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA CREATING SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 7.16.025 TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF
POTABLE WATER TO IRRIGATE NONFUNCTIONAL TURF
WHEREAS, water conservation has long been a critical priority in the City of Santa Monica (City), driven by recurring droughts, the impacts of climate change on the City’s water supply, and the need to reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies; and WHEREAS, Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 7.16, Water Conservation, implements the City’s water conservation efforts, recognizing that a water conservation plan is necessary to minimize the effect of the shortage of water within the City of Santa Monica by significantly reducing the long and short term consumption of water, thereby preserving available water for the future requirements of the City, while minimizing the hardship caused to the general public to the greatest extent possible; and WHEREAS, investing in and increasing water conservation efforts across the City was one of three key components outlined in the City’s 2018 Sustainable Water Master Plan to reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies; and WHEREAS, California has enacted several pieces of landmark legislation and policies to reduce water consumption and ensure sustainable water management across the state; and
WHEREAS, among these is Assembly Bill 1572 (AB 1572), signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 13, 2023; and
2 WHEREAS, AB 1572 specifically addresses the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf (NFT), which is generally considered an inefficient use of drinking water, and eliminating potable water irrigation of NFT supports the state’s efforts to reduce urban water demand, preserve critical water supplies, and address the impacts of climate change on California’s water resources; and
WHEREAS, AB 1572 requires public water systems to prohibit the use of potable water to irrigate NFT on commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) properties, homeowners' associations (HOAs), common interest developments (CIDs), and community service organizations.; and
WHEREAS, AB 1572 establishes a phased statewide prohibition on the use of potable water to irrigate NFT; and
WHEREAS, to comply with AB 1572 public water suppliers must revise their ordinances, regulations, or policies by January 1, 2027, to prohibit the use of potable water to irrigate NFT and communicate these new requirements to their customers; and WHEREAS, amending the Santa Monica Municipal Code for consistency with AB 1572 further supports and strengthens the City’s ongoing water conservation efforts to reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
3 SECTION 1. Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 7.16.025 is hereby added and shall read as follows:
7.15.025 Prohibition on Use of Potable Water to Irrigate Nonfunctional Turf.
A. Definitions. The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings for purposes of this Section:
1. “Common area” means that portion of a common interest development or of a property owned or managed by a homeowners’ association or a community service organization or similar entity that is not assigned or allocated to the exclusive use of the occupants of an individual unit within the property.
2. “Common interest development” includes: a community apartment project; a condominium project; a planned development; a stock cooperative.
3. “Community space” means an area designated by a property owner or a governmental agency to accommodate human foot traffic for civic, ceremonial, or other community events or social gatherings.
4. “Functional turf” means a ground cover surface of turf located in a recreational use area or community space. Turf enclosed by fencing or other barriers to permanently preclude human access for recreation or assembly is not functional turf.
5. “Homeowners’ association” means a nonprofit corporation or unincorporated association created for the purpose of managing a common interest development.
6. “Nonfunctional turf” means any turf that is not functional turf, and includes turf located within street rights-of-way and parking lots.
7. “Potable water” means water that is suitable for human consumption. 4 8. “Recreational use area” means an area designated by a property owner or a governmental agency to accommodate human foot traffic for recreation, including, but not limited to, sports fields, golf courses, playgrounds, picnic grounds, or pet exercise areas. This recreation may be either formal or informal.
B. Prohibitions. Subject to the exceptions listed in subsection C, below, no person shall use potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on:
1. Publicly owned landscapes after January 1, 2027.
2. Commercial, industrial and institutional owned landscapes after January 1, 2028.
3. Homeowners’ associations common area landscapes after January 1, 2029.
C. Exemptions. The following uses of potable water shall be exempt from this prohibition:
1. Irrigation of:
a. Public spaces intended for community assembly, including, but not limited to, parks, recreational areas, and sports fields b. Cemeteries.
c. Trees and perennial non-turf plants, to the extent necessary to sustain such trees and perennial non-turf plants.
2. Potable water use required for health and safety concerns, such as fire suppression or erosion control.
3. Agricultural irrigation.
5 SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become effective on January 1, 2027.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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HEIDI VON TONGELN
City Attorney