Journal ·
Burbank Watering Rules After July 2026: No Assigned Days, Same Hours
Burbank no longer assigns watering days. Ordinance No. 26-4,041, adopted 5-0 by the City Council on July 21, 2026, restated the city's Sustainable Water Use Ordinance, removed the six drought stages and took effect the day it was adopted. What stayed is a set of permanent rules: no more than 15 minutes per sprinkler station per day, no sprinklers between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and from November through March no sprinklers during daylight hours at all. Those hour limits are not new; the assigned days are what went away. November 1 used to switch Burbank to Saturday-only watering. Now only the long-standing winter daylight ban changes the schedule.
Under section 8-2-303 the rules apply to all users of potable water service in the city, except uses needed for public health and safety or essential services, and recycled water is outside the article entirely.
What changed in Burbank's water ordinance in 2026?
The old article ran on stages. In October 2025 the city announced that Stage III watering would return to Saturdays only from November 1, with Tuesdays and Saturdays from April through October. The staff report for the June 30, 2026 hearing describes that system as "fixed watering days based on drought stage" and proposed removing it.
The Sustainable Burbank Commission recommended adoption on March 9, 2026. On June 4, 2026 the BWP Board considered it, and a motion to recommend adoption failed on a 3-3 tie. The Council then introduced the ordinance on June 30 and adopted it on July 21, with Anthony, Perez, Rizzotti, Mullins and Takahashi all voting yes.
The staff report gives the background figure behind the change: per capita use in Burbank fell from 162 gallons per day in 2013 to 113 gallons per day.
| Rule | Before July 21, 2026 | Ordinance 26-4,041 |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned days | Saturday in winter, Tuesday and Saturday in summer (Stage III) | none |
| Drought stages | six, Stage I to Stage VI | removed, BWP may set voluntary targets (8-2-306) |
| Sprinkler hours | not 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., no daylight Nov to Mar | unchanged (8-2-304 B) |
| Pool and spa covers | required in Stage III | required at all times (8-2-304 O) |
| Before a citation | two courtesy notices required | no courtesy notice required (8-2-307) |
What hours can you run sprinklers in Burbank in winter?
Only in the dark. Section 8-2-304(B) bars watering "between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or during daylight hours from November through March," except by attended hand-watering or briefly to adjust or repair the system.
BWP's own ordinance summary page lists the 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. rule as applying "every single day, all year long" and does not mention the winter daylight clause. In late December and January the sun rises in Burbank shortly before 7:00 a.m., so a controller set for 7:00 a.m. would satisfy BWP's summary and still break the adopted text. When the summary and the ordinance differ, the ordinance is the rule, and the daylight clause was carried over unchanged from the old text. Program winter cycles to finish before sunrise or start after sunset.
Two other limits run all year. A station may water no more than 15 minutes per day under 8-2-304(A), though areas on low-flow drip irrigation that need longer are exempt. Under 8-2-304(D) nothing may be watered on a rainy day or for at least two days after it.
Is hand watering allowed any day in Burbank?
Yes. Section 8-2-304(C) allows attended hand-watering "any day of the week at any time of day without limitation on duration," and adds that deep watering of trees by hand is permitted and encouraged. The word that matters is attended. A hose left running in a bed while nobody holds it is ordinary irrigation and falls under the hours and the 15-minute cap.
Hosing hard surfaces is a separate rule. Under 8-2-304(E) you may not hose or wash driveways, patios or sidewalks except to deal with a safety or sanitary hazard, and then only with a hose that has a shut-off device or with a bucket. Sprinklers must be adjusted so they do not spray or run off onto streets, sidewalks, alleys or other paving under 8-2-304(F). Washing a car takes a bucket or a hose with a self-closing nozzle under 8-2-304(H).
Who pays for a leak between the meter and the house?
The customer of record, usually the owner. Section 8-2-304(G) requires prompt repair of all leaks, including leaks from plumbing fixtures and irrigation, and states that repairing leaks on the customer's side of the meter, "including the pipe between the meter and the building, is the responsibility of the customer."
A meter that keeps turning with every fixture off is a practical check during the inspection period, and a seller who already knows of a leak has a disclosure question to answer before listing.
Does a Burbank pool or spa need a cover?
Yes, at all times now. Section 8-2-304(O) requires users to cover swimming pools, wading pools and spas when not in use "with acceptable protection designed to decrease water evaporation." Under the staged system that duty applied in Stage III. The 2026 text makes it permanent.
The ordinance does not define acceptable protection or name a product. On a house with a pool, ask whether a fitted cover comes with the sale, since the duty falls on whoever uses the pool.
Does the turf ban apply to condos and HOAs in Burbank?
Yes, to association common areas from 2029. It does not reach a privately owned single-family yard outside an association. Section 8-2-305 bans potable irrigation of nonfunctional turf on commercial, industrial and institutional properties other than cemeteries, and on the properties of homeowners' associations and common interest developments. Its dates follow Water Code section 10608.14: institutional, commercial and industrial properties from January 1, 2028, and common areas of HOAs and common interest developments from January 1, 2029.
Nonfunctional turf is defined broadly. It includes decorative lawn along sidewalks, building edges and fences, lawn between buildings with no seating access, sloped or oddly shaped areas, and narrow strips around parking. Lawn in a recreational use area or a community space counts as functional turf and is not covered, unless it is fenced off so people cannot use it. Watering is still allowed to the extent needed to keep trees and other perennial non-turf plants healthy. The state water board may postpone a deadline by up to three years for good cause under section 10608.14(c), so a later date is possible for some properties.
For a buyer looking at a Burbank condominium or townhome, the practical question is what the association plans to do with its lawn strips before 2029, and whether that work appears in the reserve study or budget.
How does Burbank enforce the water rules now?
Through administrative citations. Section 8-2-307 makes any violation subject to a citation under BMC section 1-1-108.1 and lets the BWP General Manager enter a written agreement with a customer to resolve a violation. The adopted text no longer requires courtesy notices before a citation. BWP's summary page says the utility will focus on "significant, measurable water waste." The ordinance itself does not set a separate fine schedule.
Section 8-2-306 lets the General Manager set recommended water use targets based on stored groundwater, State Water Project and Colorado River operations, Metropolitan Water District needs and weather. Those targets may be communicated to customers as recommendations. The ordinance does not bring back assigned days.
The rules took effect on adoption because Water Code section 376 makes an ordinance adopted under section 375 effective upon adoption.
What this means when buying or selling in Burbank
Sellers preparing a yard for winter photos should reset controllers by November 1. The old Saturday schedule is gone, so a morning start time in daylight is the likely violation. Owners weighing whether to keep a lawn at all can read Burbank's front yard paving and artificial turf rules before changing the landscape, and the BWP versus LADWP comparison covers the rest of the utility differences across the city line.
Sellers can start with a home valuation and the selling process. Buyers can see how Alla works on the buying side.
Q: Can I water on Sunday in Burbank? Yes. No day of the week is assigned or excluded after July 21, 2026. The hour limits, the 15-minute cap and the rain rule still apply.
Q: Can I run sprinklers at 7:00 a.m. in Burbank in January? No. Sunrise in January comes shortly before 7:00 a.m., so a 7:00 start falls in daylight, which section 8-2-304(B) bars from November through March.
Q: Does the ordinance apply to recycled water? No. Section 8-2-303(C) excludes recycled water from the article.
This article summarizes Burbank Ordinance No. 26-4,041 and Water Code sections 376 and 10608.14 as published in October 2026. It is not legal advice. Confirm current rules with Burbank Water and Power before changing an irrigation schedule. Call Alla at (818) 699-5367 or use the enquiry form.
More on the city in the Burbank area guide.