Commercial Programs

EMWD encourages businesses to minimize unnecessary landscaping and requires a separate water meter and a formal “water budget” for any commercial landscaping over 3,000 square feet.

The requirements are detailed in Ordinance 72.20. This ordinance modifies the procedural guides, both of which are available for download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

You may also want to refer to the Riverside County Planning Department's landscape review guidelines page with its list of recommended plants for Riverside County.

	Ordinance 72.23 (updated 05/14/08) This ordinance supercedes ordinances 72.22, 72.21 and 72.20. If you have begun a project under the older ordinances, please check with EMWD to see if your plans will be grandfathered, or if they must comply with the new ordinance by sending email to conservation@emwd.org, or by calling (951) 928-3777, ex. 4384.
	Procedural Guide for Procuring Landscape Irrigation Water (updated 02/22/07)
	Ordinance 117.1 (updated 06/07) Water Shortage Contingency Plan
	A Guide to Preparing Water Budgets (updated 02/22/07 37K)
	Landscape Irrigation Plan Check Application and Water Budget Agreement

You can download a free version of the Acrobat reader from the Adobe Acrobat web site.

To learn more about the commercial landscaping and water budget provisions, send email to: conservation@emwd.org.