LOS ANGELES — California's top water regulators adopted emergency drought rules Tuesday that scale up conservation requirements for water suppliers throughout the state and prohibit watering grass that is purely decorative at businesses and in common areas of subdivisions and homeowners associations.
The regulations outlaw the use of potable water for irrigating "non-functional" grass at commercial, industrial and institutional properties.
The ban doesn't apply to yards at individual homes. There are exemptions for sports fields, grassy areas where people gather, and for watering to keep trees healthy.
