Senate BillChaptered/SignedWater
SB 1139: Monterey Peninsula Water Management District: nonfunctional turf: noncompliance and enforcement.
What SB 1139 does, verified August 10, 2026
The bill aims to amend the water code to provide the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District with the authority to enforce the prohibition of using district water for nonessential purposes during drought or water shortages. The district will be authorized to impose civil liability and penalties on individuals and entities that fail to comply with the prohibition. The district will also be responsible for enforcing the provisions, and the state water resources control board will be required to prescribe penalties for noncompliance.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 88, Statutes of 2026. (2026-06-22)Alert me
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| Jul. 13, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 88, Statutes of 2026. |
| Jul. 13, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Jul. 01, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
| Jun. 22, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 5795.) Ordered to the Senate. |
| Jun. 22, 2026 | In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, July 13, 2026 · 1,053 words
Senate Bill No. 1139
CHAPTER 88
An act to amend Section 10608.14 of the Water Code, relating to water.
[ Approved by Governor July 13, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State July 13, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1139, Laird. Monterey Peninsula Water Management District: nonfunctional turf: noncompliance and enforcement.
The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District Law establishes the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. The act authorizes the district to, among other things, prohibit the use of district water during an emergency caused by drought, or other threatened or existing water shortage, for specific uses that the district finds to be nonessential.
Existing law prohibits the use of potable water for the irrigation of nonfunctional turf located on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, other than a cemetery, and on properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities, as specified. Existing law requires a person or entity to be subject to civil liability or penalties by the State Water Resources Control Board, as prescribed, or to civil liability and penalties imposed by an urban water supplier, pursuant to a locally adopted ordinance or policy. Existing law authorizes a public water system, city, county, or city and county to enforce the provisions relating to the prohibition, as specified.
This bill would require a person or entity to be subject to civil liability or penalties imposed by the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District pursuant to a locally adopted ordinance or policy. The bill would authorize the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District to enforce the provisions relating to the prohibition, as specified.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 10608.14 of the Water Code is amended to read:10608.14.
(a) The use of potable water for the irrigation of nonfunctional turf located on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, other than a cemetery, and on properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities is prohibited as of the following dates:(1) All properties owned by the Department of General Services, beginning January 1, 2027.
(2) All properties owned by local governments, local or regional public agencies, and public water systems, except those specified in paragraph (5), beginning January 1, 2027.
(3) All other institutional properties and all commercial and industrial properties, beginning January 1, 2028.
(4) All common areas of properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities, beginning January 1, 2029.
(5) All properties owned by local governments, local public agencies, and public water systems in a disadvantaged community, beginning January 1, 2031, or the date upon which a state funding source is made available to fund conversion of nonfunctional turf on these properties to climate-appropriate landscapes, whichever is later.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the use of potable water is not prohibited by this section to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial nonturf plantings, or to the extent necessary to address an immediate health and safety need.
(c) The board may, upon a showing of good cause for reasons including economic hardship, critical business need, and potential impacts to human health or safety, postpone a compliance deadline in subdivision (a) by up to three years for certain persons, institutions, and businesses, and may create a form to be used for compliance certification to the board by property owners.
(d) Public water systems shall, by no later than January 1, 2027, revise their regulations, ordinances, or policies governing water service to include the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b), as revised by the board pursuant to subdivision (c), and shall communicate the requirements to their customers on or before that date.
(e) (1) An owner of commercial, industrial, or institutional property with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated area other than a cemetery shall certify to the board, commencing June 30, 2030, and every three years thereafter through 2039, that their property is in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(2) An owner of a property with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated common area that is a homeowners’ association, common interest development, or community service organization or similar entity shall certify to the board, commencing June 30, 2031, and every three years thereafter through 2040, that their property is in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(f) Noncompliance by a person or entity with this chapter or regulations adopted thereunder shall be subject to civil liability and penalties set forth in Section 1846, or to civil liability and penalties imposed by an urban retail water supplier or the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District pursuant to a locally adopted ordinance or policy.
(g) (1) A public water system, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, a city, county, or city and county may enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(2) To avoid duplication of enforcement, any entity identified in paragraph (1) that is not a retail public water system shall notify the retail public water system 30 days prior to enforcement of the provisions of this chapter against a property served by such system.
(3) Nothing in paragraph (2) shall preclude enforcement by any entity identified in paragraph (1) once adequate notice is given.
(h) The department shall, when using funds appropriated for water conservation for turf replacement, prioritize financial assistance for nonfunctional turf replacement to public water systems serving disadvantaged communities and to owners of affordable housing.
(i) The department shall utilize the saveourwater.com internet website and outreach campaign to provide information and resources on converting nonfunctional turf to native vegetation.
(j) The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development shall support small and minority-owned businesses that provide services that advance compliance with this chapter.
SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unintended water conservation enforcement gap that exists in the Monterey area and the need to ensure effective enforcement of nonfunctional turf water conservation requirements and consistent implementation of California’s drought response policies.Text of SB 1139 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions