In 2023, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 1572, which prohibits using drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf at commercial properties, industrial properties and institutional properties, starting in 2028. It also bans irrigating nonfunctional turf in common areas of Homeowners Associations, starting in 2029. (Please note: this ban does not apply to the residential sector!) 

So, what is nonfunctional turf?

Let's start with a definition of functional turf. According to AB 1572, functional turf is grassy areas used for communal purposes like parks, playgrounds, sports fields, schools, break areas for employees and other social activities. In contract, nonfunctional turf is grass that is simply decorative. This would be grass in street medians, grass in front of businesses and any other area that is not regularly used for human activity.

While this legislation is aimed at reducing the footprint of nonfunctional turf, it is critical that reducing decorative grass not come at the cost of plants, shrubs and trees. For this reason, AB 1572 contains the following language, "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."

This means that if current irrigation systems connected to nonfunctional turf are also watering trees and shrubs, you may be able to keep that section of grass. 

Owners of commercial, industrial and institutional properties, as well as managers of Homeowner Associations, must begin the process of identifying nonfunctional turf at their locations, and must plan to phase them out over the next few years. 

A great first step in this process is to read the legislation for yourself! Don't worry, it's only five pages long.

The next step would be to connect with your landscape manager and begin identifying areas of grass that are clearly identifiable as nonfunctional turf. 

From there, the last step is to phase out nonfunctional turf at your property. 

If you are not sure what counts as nonfunctional turf, please reach out to the Sustainability Division at 916-617-4590. We'd be happy to come out and take a look at your specific situation and provide solutions. 

For more information about this legislation, please visit our regional partner Be Water Smart - Nonfunctional Turf Ban.

What is Turf?

Turf is a ground cover surface of mowed grass that is commonly referred to as a lawn. For example, annual bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial ryegrass, Red fescue, and Tall fescue are cool-season grasses and Bermudagrass, Kikuyugrass, Seashore Paspalum, St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, and Buffalo grass are warm-season grasses. Artificial turf, which is made of synthetic non-living material that looks like natural grass, is excluded from this law.  Artificial turf is used in sports arenas, residential lawns and various commercial applications.

What types of properties does this ban apply to?

• Banking institutions
• City and county land
• Educational institutions
• Gas stations
• Government and public agency buildings
• Grocery and retail stores
• Homeowner association owned properties
• Common interest developments
• Community service organizations
• Hospitals
• Office, warehouse, and industrial buildings
• Religious institutions
• Restaurants/Fast Food establishments
• Strip malls
• Street/Boulevard landscape median strips

Does the ban apply to residential properties?

The ban does not apply to residential properties. The ban does apply to common areas within Homeowner Associations (HOA), common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar properties, beginning January 1, 2029. Apartment complexes and condominium buildings that are not part of an HOA or a common interest development are exempt. Not sure if the property is residential? Check with your local city or county planning department to find out.  Ask for the property’s zoning designation.

When will this ban take effect?

The ban will be phased in over 5 years starting in 2027 based on property ownership.  The deadlines below are the compliance dates, which means the applicable property must stop irrigating nonfunctional turf with potable water by that date and maintain compliance moving forward in time. 

• State and local government, local and regional public agencies and public water systems properties beginning January 1, 2027.
• All other institutional properties (not described above) and all commercial and industrial properties beginning January 1, 2028.
• All common areas of properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities beginning January 1, 2029.
• All properties owned by local governments, local public agencies, and public water systems in a disadvantaged community, beginning January 1, 2031 or when funding is available to convert nonfunctional turf to climate-appropriate landscapes, whichever is later. 

A disadvantaged community is defined as a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income.

A homeowners’ association is defined as a nonprofit corporation or unincorporated association created for the purpose of managing a common interest development.

A common interest development includes a community apartment project, condominium project, planned development or stock cooperative.

A community service organization or similar entity is defined as nonprofit entity, other than an association, that is organized to provide services to residents of the common interest development or to the public in addition to the residents, to the extent community common area or facilities are available to the public. 

Common areas are the portion of a common interest development or of a property owned or managed by a homeowners’ association or a community service organization or similar entity that is not assigned or allocated to the exclusive use of the occupants of an individual dwelling unit within the property. 

Who decides if my Commercial, Industrial or Institutional landscape has nonfunctional turf?

The state of California, through the passage of Assembly Bill 1572, has defined functional and nonfunctional turf (see definitions above).  Local water suppliers, cities and counties are tasked with interpreting the state’s definitions at the local level.  

Furthermore, Assembly Bill 1572 requires that the following property owners self-certify that their properties comply with the nonfunctional turf potable irrigation ban requirements:

• Owners of commercial, industrial, or institutional property with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated area other than a cemetery shall certify to the State Water Resources Control Board, commencing June 30, 2030, and every three years thereafter through 2039, and
• Owners 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 State Water Resources Control Board, commencing June 30, 2031, and every three years thereafter through 2040.

If I remove my property's nonfunctional turf, what do I replace it with?

Check with your local water supplier, city and/or county for any new landscape planting rules and guidelines.  Some local entities require certain kinds of plants and guidelines for site ratios of pervious material (plants, bark, etc.) versus impervious material (pavers, concrete, etc.). 

Water suppliers, cities and counties are encouraging replacement of nonfunctional turf but are not requiring it. In general, nonfunctional turf can be replaced with low water use and native plants, mulch, and nonturf low water use groundcover that looks like turf. For examples of low water use and native plants that thrive in our region, visit RWA’s Water-Wise Gardening plant database and the California Native Plant Society’s plant database. For examples of nonturf low water use groundcovers that thrive in our region, check out this extensive list of turf alternatives.

It is recommended that when nonfunctional turf is removed, property owners redesign/configure/update the property’s current irrigation system to accommodate the decreased watering needs of the new low water use, native plant and groundcover plant materials.  These irrigation system changes can include but are not limited to switching from overhead sprinklers to drip irrigation, replacing sprinkler nozzles with high efficiency nozzles, removal or capping of sprinkler heads that are no longer needed, etc.  For more information, check out these “how to” irrigation videos.