Starting January 2027, many public and commercial properties must stop using drinking water on grass that serves no real recreational or community use.
California law (AB 1572) will prohibit the use of drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf—lawns that serve no recreational or community purpose—at most commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, including common areas managed by homeowners associations (HOAs), community service organizations, or similar entities.
Nonfunctional lawn refers to irrigated lawn that is ornamental and not regularly used for recreation or public gatherings. If the landscaper is the only person who ever walks on the lawn, it’s likely nonfunctional. Some examples include:
Decorative lawn along sidewalks, building edges, or fences.
Unused patches near signage or building entries.
Lawn in medians, roundabouts, parking lots, or entry zones.
Sloped lawn areas.
Check if your property is affected
Review the timeline below to understand who is affected and when.
January 1, 2027
Properties owned or leased by the Department of General Services (state government) and other state and local government properties, such as public schools and universities must discontinue the use of drinking water on nonfunctional turf.
January 1, 2028
Commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, including business parks, hospitals, private schools and universities must stop irrigating with drinking water.
January 1, 2029
Common areas of homeowners’ associations (HOAs), common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities must comply with the prohibition.
January 1, 2031 (or later)
The law applies to local government-managed properties located in disadvantaged communities (DACs), but only once state funding becomes available to support the transition.
California's nonfunctional turf requirements apply to:
This law doesn’t apply to residential properties.
Properties subject to the law must discontinue using drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf by their applicable compliance date.
The compliance date is the date by which drinking water can no longer be used to irrigate nonfunctional turf. Landscape conversion doesn’t have to be completed by that date, but early action is recommended to give time to plan and make changes at a comfortable pace.
Trees should continue to be protected during the transition. When planning irrigation or landscape changes, develop a strategy that allows existing trees to receive the water they need without continuing to irrigate the surrounding nonfunctional lawn.
Potential alternatives include low-water native and water-wise plants, flowering shrubs, rain gardens, bioswales, paths, benches, and shaded gathering or seating areas.
The change is intended to reduce the use of drinking water on ornamental lawn that does not serve a recreational or community function, while preserving green spaces that provide a meaningful purpose and encouraging more efficient water use.