Runoff and overspray
Watering that sends excess water onto sidewalks, driveways, streets, alleys, gutters or ditches is prohibited. A tilted or broken head that sprays the street every Wednesday is a common source.
Homeowner guide
Covina water conservation rules and leak repair deadlines
City of Covina Water customers have been under a Level 2 water shortage since August 4, 2022. That sets your sprinkler days and gives you 48 hours to fix a leak once the City tells you about it.
Call (626) 746-1970Request service
Written and fact-checked by John, editor, MBA in marketing
Updated against City, utility and state sources
Quick answer
If your bill comes from the City of Covina Water Division, Level 2 rules apply: sprinklers on Wednesday and Saturday from April to October and Wednesday only from November to March, never between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and no more than 10 minutes per station. A leak must be repaired within 48 hours of City notice. Other suppliers set their own rules.
- Shortage level
- Level 2 since August 4, 2022
- Leak deadline
- 48 hours after City notice
- Sprinkler limit
- 10 minutes per station
- Applies to
- City of Covina Water customers
Who the Covina water rules apply to
The watering days and leak deadlines on this page apply to customers of the City of Covina Water Division, not to every address in Covina.
This surprises people. Covina is served by six different water suppliers, and the City's water conservation ordinance, Covina Municipal Code Chapter 13.06, applies to "any person using potable water provided by the City." If your water comes from someone else, your supplier sets its own conservation rules, and the City's Level 2 schedule is not the one you follow.
The quickest way to know is to look at your water bill. The name at the top tells you who supplies your house. The City's Water Division serves about 33,300 people through about 8,500 connections and about 102 miles of mains, so many Covina homes are City customers, but plenty are not.
| Name on your bill | Phone (plain text) | Whose conservation rules apply |
|---|---|---|
| City of Covina Water Division, 534 N Barranca Ave | 626-384-5220 | Covina Municipal Code Chapter 13.06, covered on this page |
| Suburban Water Systems, 1325 N Grand Ave, Covina | 626-543-2640 | Suburban's own rules |
| Golden State Water (San Dimas system) | 800-999-4033 | Golden State Water's own rules |
| Valencia Heights Water Company | 626-332-8935 | Valencia Heights' own rules |
| Azusa Light & Water | 626-812-5063 | Azusa's own rules |
| Glendora Water | 626-852-4838 | Glendora's own rules |
We do not list the other suppliers' watering days here, because they change and we will not guess. Call the number on your bill or check that supplier's website. For a fuller picture of who serves which part of town and how hard each supplier's water is, see our Covina water suppliers and hardness guide.
What Level 2 means in Covina
Level 2 is the second of four water supply shortage levels in the City's ordinance, and the City declared it effective August 4, 2022; it was still listed as in effect when we checked the City's water page in November 2026.
Chapter 13.06 has two layers. The first is a set of permanent rules against water waste that apply at all times, shortage or not. The second is four shortage levels the City can declare when supply is tight. Levels 1 and 2 are declared when the City finds that demand needs to come down. Levels 3 and 4 are emergency levels meant to protect supply for health and safety. Under the code, a newly declared level takes effect on the tenth day after it is declared.
Each level tightens the one below it. The two rules that matter most to homeowners are how often you can run sprinklers and how fast you must fix a leak after the City notifies you. Here is how the four levels compare.
| Level | Sprinkler days, April to October | Sprinkler days, November to March | Unattended sprinkler limit | Leak repair after City notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No shortage (permanent rules) | Any day, outside 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Any day, outside 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 15 minutes per station per day | Within 5 days |
| Level 1 | Three days a week | One day a week | 15 minutes per station per day | Within 72 hours |
| Level 2 (in effect) | Wednesday and Saturday | Wednesday only | 10 minutes per station per day | Within 48 hours |
| Level 3 (emergency) | One day a week | One day a week | 8 minutes per station per day | Within 48 hours |
| Level 4 (emergency) | Watering prohibited, with narrow exceptions | Watering prohibited | Not applicable | Within 24 hours |
Level 2 adds two smaller rules on top of the watering schedule. You may not fill or refill an ornamental lake or pond, except to keep valuable aquatic life alive. Vehicle washing is limited to a bucket, a hand-held hose with a self-closing nozzle, a high-pressure low-volume system, or a commercial car wash that recirculates its water.
Because the declaration dates to 2022, the City's own page suggests confirming current restrictions with its Environmental Services Division before relying on them. That is good advice. If the City moves to a different level, the watering days and the leak deadline change with it.
Covina watering days, hours and minutes
At Level 2, City customers may run sprinklers on Wednesday and Saturday from April through October and on Wednesday only from November through March, never between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., for no more than 10 minutes per station.
- April to October
- Sprinklers on Wednesday and Saturday only
- November to March
- Sprinklers on Wednesday only
- Hours
- No watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., any day
- Run time
- 10 minutes per station per day, maximum
The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ban is a permanent rule, so it would stay even if the shortage ended. The idea is simple: water put down in midday heat evaporates before roots get it.
What you can do any day
The City lists several uses that are allowed on any day of the week, because they waste little water:
- Low-flow drip irrigation. The code exempts very low-flow drip systems where no emitter puts out more than two gallons per hour from the per-station minute limit.
- Hand watering with a hose that has a shut-off nozzle.
- Watering trees with a hose that has a shut-off nozzle.
- Short irrigation runs to adjust or repair the system.
Setting your controller
Most sprinkler timers let you pick days and start times for each program. For Level 2, set every program to Wednesday and Saturday in the warm months, start it before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m., and cap each station at 10 minutes. On November 1, switch to Wednesday only. If your lawn puddles or runs onto the sidewalk before 10 minutes are up, split the time into two shorter cycles with a break so the water soaks in. Runoff onto sidewalks, driveways, gutters and streets is prohibited at every level.
The permanent rules allow weather-based controllers and stream rotor sprinklers that meet a 70 percent efficiency standard to run past the 15 minute permanent limit. Even with one of those, keep to the Level 2 schedule and hours.
The 48-hour leak repair rule
Under Level 2, a City of Covina Water customer must repair a plumbing leak, break or malfunction within 48 hours of being notified by the City, unless other arrangements are made with the City.
The clock starts with the City's notice, not with the day the leak began. Without a declared shortage, the permanent rule still says leaks must be fixed within a reasonable time after you find them, and never more than five days after City notice. Level 1 shortens that to 72 hours, Levels 2 and 3 to 48 hours, and Level 4 to 24 hours.
Forty-eight hours is not much time if the leak is underground or under a slab. Shutting off the affected line stops the waste right away, and the City's page makes room for "other arrangements" when a repair takes longer. In our experience the best move is to act on the first day and keep a record.
Stop the water
Close the valve that feeds the leak: the sprinkler valve, the toilet stop, the fixture shutoff or, if you cannot find the source, the main shutoff. That alone ends the waste while you arrange the repair.
Find where it is
A broken sprinkler head is easy to spot. A leak in a supply line under the yard or the floor is not. A meter test, described below, tells you if water is still moving with everything off.
Call for the repair
Book the fix the same day. If it needs a pipe locator, a camera or digging, ask for a written estimate and the expected date. Call 811 at least two business days before anyone digs in the yard.
Tell the City if it will take longer
If the repair cannot be done within 48 hours, contact the City before the deadline to ask about other arrangements. Have the address, the date of the notice and the scheduled repair date ready.
Keep the paperwork
Save the invoice, photos of the repair and, if a permit was required, the inspection sign-off. That is your proof the leak was fixed on time.
What counts as water waste in Covina
The City treats runoff from irrigation, hosing down paved surfaces, fountains that do not recirculate, open-hose car washing and unrepaired leaks as water waste, and you can report it to Environmental Services at 626-384-5480.
Washing hard surfaces
Hosing down sidewalks, driveways and patios is not allowed, except to clear a safety or sanitary hazard, and then only with a bucket, a self-closing hose, or a low-volume high-pressure cleaner or water broom.
Fountains and ponds
A decorative fountain or water feature must recirculate its water. Under Level 2, filling or refilling ornamental ponds is prohibited unless it keeps valuable aquatic life alive.
Cars and boats
Wash with a bucket or a hand-held hose with a shut-off nozzle. Commercial car washes are exempt, and conveyor car washes must recirculate their water.
Businesses have a few extra rules. Restaurants may serve water only when a customer asks, and may not use dish wash spray valves that are not water-conserving. Hotels and motels must let guests decline daily towel and linen washing and post that option in each bathroom. Those rules apply at all times, not only in a shortage. If you run a restaurant, our commercial plumbing page covers fixtures and grease lines.
How to report water waste
Report it to the City's Environmental Services Division at 626-384-5480 or environmental@covinaca.gov. The City asks for the address, a short description, and the date and time you saw it. Photos help. This line is for City of Covina Water customers. If the property is served by another supplier, report it to that supplier.
Fines and penalties for breaking the rules
A first violation in any 12-month period brings a written warning, and repeat violations bring utility bill assessments that climb from $100 to $400, with a possible flow restrictor or shutoff for willful violations.
| Violation | What the City may do |
|---|---|
| First | Written warning and a copy of the ordinance |
| Second, third, fourth and later | Noncompliance assessments on the water bill that step up from $100 to $400 |
| Repeated or willful | A flow restrictor of about one gallon per minute, installed 48 hours after written notice, or disconnection |
| At the City's discretion | Prosecution as a misdemeanor, with up to 30 days in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both |
Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. The property owner also pays the City's charges to install or remove a restrictor and to disconnect or reconnect service. Notices and assessments can be appealed under the water utility's rules.
If a rule causes you real hardship that other customers do not face, you can apply for a hardship waiver on a City form, with a nonrefundable fee and supporting documents. The Director of Public Works must act within 10 days. Approved waivers generally last through the shortage.
Plumbing fixes that save the most water
The biggest savings usually come from irrigation leaks and running toilets, followed by dripping faucets and showerheads, and every one of them is quick to check yourself.
The EPA's WaterSense program estimates that household leaks waste more than 9,300 gallons a year in the average home, and that 9 percent of homes have leaks wasting 50 gallons or more a day. Under a 48-hour rule, small leaks are worth fixing before the City ever sends a notice.
| Leak | How much it can waste | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Irrigation leak about 1/32 inch across | About 6,300 gallons a month | Replace the broken head, riser, fitting or valve diaphragm; repair the buried line |
| Running or silently leaking toilet | Often the largest indoor leak; a worn flapper can leak without a sound | New flapper or fill valve, or a new toilet if the tank or bowl is cracked |
| Faucet dripping once a second | More than 3,000 gallons a year | New washer, cartridge or gasket, or a new faucet |
| Showerhead leaking at the stem | Steady drip at the connection | Clean the threads and reseal with thread tape |
| Hidden supply line leak | Runs around the clock, often unnoticed until the bill comes | Leak detection, then a spot repair or reroute |
Irrigation leaks
Sprinklers are where Covina's rules and plumbing meet. Run each station for a minute on a watering day and walk the yard. Look for a geyser from a snapped head, a head that sprays the street, water pooling around a valve box, or a soggy patch that never dries. A valve that will not shut off fully keeps weeping between cycles. With roughly two-thirds of the City's homes built before 1970, many yards have irrigation that has been patched for decades, and older valves and risers fail often. WaterSense also suggests checking the system each spring before heavy use, which in Covina lines up with the switch to two watering days in April.
Toilets
Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 10 minutes without flushing. If color shows up in the bowl, the flapper is leaking. Flush afterward so the dye does not stain. A toilet that refills by itself, hisses or runs after a flush is wasting water too. These are usually inexpensive parts, and our toilet and faucet repair page explains when a repair beats a replacement.
Faucets and showerheads
Drips usually come from a worn washer, cartridge or O-ring. Covina's City water averages about 230 milligrams per liter of hardness, roughly 13.5 grains per gallon, which the City's 2025 water quality report classes as very hard. Mineral scale can keep washers and valve seats from sealing, so drips come back sooner in hard water. If scale is a constant fight, see our water softeners and filtration page.
Hidden leaks
If the meter moves with everything off and you cannot see water anywhere, the leak is in a wall, under a slab or under the yard. That is a job for electronic leak detection, which finds the spot before anyone breaks concrete. If an older galvanized system keeps springing leaks, repiping may be the real fix.
How to check your house for leaks with the water meter
Turn off every tap and water-using appliance, read the meter, wait two hours without using water, and read it again; if the reading changed, you probably have a leak.
Shut everything off
Make sure no one runs water, the sprinklers are off, and the dishwasher, washing machine, ice maker and any softener are not cycling.
Read the meter
Open the meter box and write down the reading. Many meters also have a small low-flow indicator, a triangle or dial that spins when water is moving. Take a photo with the time.
Wait two hours
This is the EPA WaterSense method. A longer wait catches slower leaks.
Read it again
If the number changed, water left the meter while nothing was on. Now narrow it down.
Split house from yard
Close the main shutoff at the house and repeat. If the meter still moves, the leak is in the line between the meter and the house, or in the irrigation if it branches off before the main. If it stops, the leak is inside.
WaterSense offers one more quick check: a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons in a cold month such as January or February probably has a serious leak. If your winter bill looks like a summer bill even though you water only on Wednesdays, look harder. City of Covina Water customers with billing questions can call the City's Finance Division at 626-384-5230.
Rebates for water-saving fixtures
The City points customers to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's rebates at bewaterwise.com, which have covered high-efficiency toilets and clothes washers, smart irrigation controllers, rain barrels and cisterns, and turf replacement.
Rebate programs change and have their own eligibility rules, so check bewaterwise.com before you buy, not after. Some programs need you to apply before the work starts or to keep the receipt and photos.
A smart irrigation controller pairs well with Level 2, because it can hold the Wednesday and Saturday schedule and skip a cycle after rain. A high-efficiency toilet replaces the old tank that was running all night.
- Check that your supplier takes part before you apply
- Read whether the rebate needs pre-approval
- Keep the receipt, model number and photos
- Ask for an invoice that lists the fixture installed
- Pull a City permit when the work requires one
Most fixture swaps do not need a permit, but some work does, such as a new water heater or a repipe. Our Covina plumbing permit guide lists which jobs need one, and our Covina plumbing costs guide shows published price ranges for toilets, faucets and leak repairs.
A simple yearly water plan for a Covina home
Check the irrigation in spring, set the controller twice a year for the seasonal schedule, test toilets and the meter once or twice a year, and fix drips as soon as you see them.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Late March | Walk every sprinkler station, fix heads and valves, and set Wednesday and Saturday programs for April 1 |
| Summer | Watch for runoff and dry spots; adjust heads instead of adding minutes past the 10-minute cap |
| Late October | Switch the controller to Wednesday only for November 1 |
| January or February | Compare your cold-month bill with the WaterSense benchmark and run a meter test |
| Any time | Dye-test toilets, fix drips, and act within 48 hours of any City leak notice |
If a City notice arrives and you cannot find the leak, or the repair needs digging, call us. We can find it, give you a written price before work starts, and get it fixed inside the deadline whenever the job allows. For a burst line or water you cannot shut off, see our 24/7 emergency plumber page.
Water where it shouldn't be? Call now.
A real person answers 24 hours a day. You get an honest arrival window and a written price before any work starts.
Questions Covina homeowners ask
What days can I water in Covina?
City of Covina Water customers may run sprinklers on Wednesday and Saturday from April through October, and on Wednesday only from November through March, under the Level 2 shortage in effect since August 4, 2022. Never water between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and keep each station to 10 minutes.
How long do I have to fix a leak in Covina?
Under Level 2, 48 hours after the City notifies you, unless you make other arrangements with the City. Without a declared shortage the limit is five days after notice. Level 1 allows 72 hours and Level 4 allows only 24 hours.
Do the Covina watering rules apply to my house?
Only if your water bill comes from the City of Covina Water Division. Five other suppliers serve parts of Covina, including Suburban Water Systems and Golden State Water, and each sets its own rules. See our Covina water suppliers guide.
Can I hand water on other days in Covina?
Yes. Hand watering with a hose that has a shut-off nozzle, watering trees the same way, low-flow drip irrigation and short runs to adjust or repair sprinklers are allowed any day. The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ban still applies to watering lawns and landscaping.
How do I report water waste in Covina?
Contact the City's Environmental Services Division at 626-384-5480 or environmental@covinaca.gov. Give the address, a short description and the date and time you saw it. Photos help. If the property has a different water supplier, report it to that supplier instead.
What is the fine for breaking Covina's water rules?
A first violation in 12 months brings a written warning. Repeat violations bring bill assessments that rise from $100 to $400. The City can also install a flow restrictor, disconnect service for willful violations, or prosecute as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000.
Can I wash my car in my driveway in Covina?
Yes, with a bucket or a hand-held hose that has a shut-off nozzle. Under Level 2 you can also use a high-pressure low-volume washer or a commercial car wash that recirculates its water. Letting a hose run freely is not allowed.
Which plumbing repairs save the most water?
Irrigation leaks and running toilets usually waste the most. EPA WaterSense says a 1/32 inch irrigation leak can waste about 6,300 gallons a month and a faucet dripping once a second more than 3,000 gallons a year. A dye test and a two-hour meter test find most leaks.
Who fixes a leak at the water meter in Covina?
A leak at the meter or in the street is the water supplier's to fix. City of Covina Water customers call the Water Division at 626-384-5220. A leak on the house side of the meter is the property owner's responsibility. Our leak detection service can find it.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these public sources, checked November 1, 2026.
- City of Covina Water Division: shortage level, watering rules, leak repair, water waste reporting, rebates
- Covina Municipal Code Chapter 13.06, Water Conservation and Supply Shortage
- City of Covina: water purveyors servicing Covina
- City of Covina 2025 Consumer Confidence Report
- City of Covina 6th cycle Housing Element (certified March 2024)
- EPA WaterSense: Fix a Leak Week