SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Senate Bill 1139 by Senator John Laird, legislation that strengthens California’s water conservation efforts by ensuring the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) will be able to enforce impending restrictions on the irrigation of nonfunctional turf with potable water.

Beginning in 2027, California law prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. SB 1139 closes an unintended gap by expressly authorizing MPWMD to enforce those requirements, consistent with its longstanding role in local water conservation.

“As California continues adapting to a drier future, we need to make sure our water conservation laws work as intended,” said Laird. “The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District has decades of experience helping the region use water wisely. SB 1139 simply gives the District clear authority to continue enforcing existing restrictions on nonfunctional turf irrigation, helping strengthen drought resilience and protect our limited water supplies.”

Unlike a typical water wholesaler, MPWMD was established by the Legislature with explicit authority to implement and enforce water conservation measures for end users. Local water retailers have long relied on the District to carry out conservation enforcement, but it was inadvertently omitted from the list of agencies authorized to enforce the state’s nonfunctional turf irrigation restrictions enacted in 2023. SB 1139 aligns state law with existing local practice and preserves an effective conservation program already in place on the Monterey Peninsula.

The bill is sponsored by MPWMD.

“The Water District sought authority under this bill to continue to support the State’s ‘Conservation as a California Way of Life’ initiative,” said Dave Stoldt, General Manager of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. “We hope to work in partnership with nonfunctional turf owners to support their own sustainability efforts.”

SB 1139 will take effect on January 1, 2027.