Gavin Newsom signs law to permanently ban watering grass at certain California businesses

An extremely wet winter may have freed California from its most recent years-long drought, but the state is still looking to clamp down on water use. Under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, public agencies, restaurants, corporate campuses industrial parks and certain other property owners will be prohibited from watering “nonfunctional turf” using potable water. The law does not apply to residential lawns, apartment complexes, sports fields or cemeteries. The new rules will be phased in beginning Jan. 1, 2027. If this prohibition sounds familiar that’s because it’s currently in ...