Contra Costa Water District

08/29/2025 | Press release | Archived content

Adjust Your Watering This Fall

As summer fades into fall, it's time to shift your outdoor watering habits. Even if it still feels warm outside, your lawn and landscape don't need as much water as they did in July. Why the change? It all comes down to shorter days.

From the summer solstice in June to the winter solstice in December, Contra Costa County loses over 6.5 hours of daylight. Along with fewer daylight hours, the sun sits lower in the sky, reducing the intensity of sunlight. This combination means less evaporation and lower water needs for your plants.

To make the most of every drop, we encourage you to adjust your watering schedule to match the season. Scaling back in the fall helps conserve water while keeping your lawn and landscape healthy.

We've got seasonal guidelines to help you water efficiently. View the table below and check out our Lawn and Landscape Watering Schedule (PDF).

Watering Schedule September October November December
Lawn 3 days per week 2 days per week 1 day per week Off
Landscape (Plants/Shrubs) 2 days per week 1 day per week Off Off
Contra Costa Water District published this content on August 29, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 03, 2025 at 23:09 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]