DRAFT 9/15/2026 _____
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Council Agenda: 10/6/2026
Item No.:
ORDINANCE NO. _______
A N O R D I N A N C E O F T H E C I T Y C O U N C I L O F T H E C I T Y O F SUNNYVALE TO AMEND CHAPTER 12.34 (WATER
CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS) OF TITLE 12 (WATER AND
SEWERS) OF THE SUNNYVALE MUNICIPAL CODE TO IMPLEMENT
A B 1 5 7 2 B Y P R O H I B I T I N G T H E U S E O F P O T A B L E W A T E R T O
IRRIGATE NONFUNCTIONAL TURF
WHEREAS, In 2023, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill (AB) 1572 (codifed in Cal. Water Code Section 10608.12 et seq.), which prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on specified properties; and
WHEREAS, AB 1572 requires public water systems, including the City of Sunnyvale (City), to update their water service regulations, ordinances, or policies as necessary to implement the requirements, and to communicate those requirements to customers by January 1, 2027; and WHEREAS, Chapter 12.34 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code currently contains other types of water conservation restrictions, and Environmental Services Department staff recommend incorporating the provisions of AB 1572 into Chapter 12.34 to meet the statutory requirement for updating the City's regulations, and to keep the City’s rules related to water conservation together.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SUNNYVALE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 12.34.020 AMENDED. Section 12.34.020 of Chapter 12.34 (Water Conservation Restrictions) of Title 12 (Water and Sewers) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code is hereby amended to add subsection (a)(13) to read as follows:
Section 12.34.020. Nonessential uses prohibited.
(a) To prevent the waste and unreasonable use of water and to promote water conservation, the following actions are hereby prohibited, except where necessary to address an immediate health or safety need or to comply with a term or condition in a permit issued by a state or federal agency:
(1)-(12) [Text unchanged].
(13) The use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf at commercial, industrial, institutional properties and common areas of homeowners’ association, common interest developments, and community service organizations in violation of California Water Code Section 10608.14. For the Attachment 3
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purpose of this section, nonfunctional turf shall have the definition set forth in Water Code Section 10608.12.
(b) [Text unchanged].
S E C T I O N 2 . C E Q A - E X E M P T I O N . T h e C i t y C o u n c i l f i n d s , p u r s u a n t t o T i t l e 1 4 o f t h e California Code of Regulations, Section 15037 that this ordinance is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as an action taken by a regulatory agency to assure the maintenance, restoration, or protection of natural resources.
SECTION 3. CONSTITUTIONALITY; SEVERABILITY. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision or decisions 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 section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty (30) days from and after the date of its adoption.
SECTION 5. POSTING AND PUBLICATION. The City Clerk is directed to cause copies of this ordinance to be posted in three (3) prominent places in the City of Sunnyvale and to cause publication once in The Sun, the official publication of legal notices of the City of Sunnyvale, of a notice setting forth the date of adoption, the title of this ordinance, and a list of places where copies of this ordinance are posted, within fifteen (15) days after adoption of this ordinance.
Attachment 3
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Introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council held on _________, and adopted as a n o r d i n a n c e o f t h e C i t y o f S u n n y v a l e a t a r e g u l a r m e e t i n g o f t h e C i t y C o u n c i l h e l d o n ____________, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
RECUSAL:
ATTEST: APPROVED:
DAVID CARNAHAN
City Clerk
Date of Attestation: _______________________
LARRY KLEIN
Mayor
(SEAL)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________________
REBECCA L. MOON
City Attorney
Attachment 3