You may be looking at a condominium or another property with a green common area and wondering whether Glendora is about to require a change. The proposal could affect potable water used on some common-area turf, but it has not been adopted, private residential properties are exempt, and the published summary does not identify the starting date for each covered property type.
Status as of 3 Nov 2026: introduced for first reading on 27 Oct; adoption is on the 10 Nov agenda.
This is general information and not legal advice.
What would Ordinance 2101 change?
If adopted, Ordinance 2101 would prohibit potable water from being used to irrigate nonfunctional turf on specified properties in Glendora.
The City’s notice says the amended proposal would change several sections of Municipal Code Chapter 14.34, titled “Water Conservation,” within Title 14, titled “Water.” It would apply the prohibition to commercial, industrial, and institutional properties other than cemeteries. It would also reach common areas of homeowners’ associations, common-interest developments, and community service organizations.
The City Council introduced the amended ordinance on 27 Oct 2026. All five council members voted yes, with no members absent or abstaining. That first-reading vote advanced the proposal, but it did not complete adoption.
The proposal is tied to Assembly Bill 1572. The State Water Resources Control Board describes that law as banning treated drinking water irrigation of nonfunctional mowed grass.
What counts as nonfunctional turf?
The State Water Board says nonfunctional turf refers to mowed grass that is not in a recreational use area or a community space.
The published Glendora notice gives no separate local definition. The full ordinance text was not available when this was written. The notice says the full text is available through the Office of the City Clerk at 116 E. Foothill Boulevard and online under the City’s public notices.
Which properties could be covered?
The proposal could cover HOA common areas, common-interest developments, community service organizations, and commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. Cemeteries are excluded.
Private residential properties are expressly exempt under the City’s notice. A lawn belonging to a private residence should not be treated as covered merely because it is in Glendora. In a planned development or condominium property, the relevant question is whether the turf is part of a covered common area rather than a private residential property.
Association documents may show whether an area is common property and who maintains it. The California HOA disclosure guide explains the broader records a buyer may receive when evaluating a property governed by an association.
The notice does not say which Glendora addresses are on City water. A buyer or owner should confirm the water supplier and the party responsible for the landscaped area before drawing conclusions about how the proposal could apply.
Are there exceptions for useful turf and plants?
Yes. The proposal would allow exceptions for tree and perennial plant health, immediate health and safety needs, and turf used for recreational, civic, and community purposes.
Those exceptions make the use of an area important. The proposal is not described as a blanket ban on every irrigated lawn within a covered property. The City’s notice focuses on potable water irrigation of nonfunctional turf while preserving the listed uses.
The sources do not say whether any Glendora association has nonfunctional turf. They also provide no replacement cost, rebate information, or expected effect on property values.
A Glendora HOA board member asked us whether proposed Ordinance 2101 would force the association to remove all of its turf. The board was already considering a landscape project and did not want to act on an incorrect reading of a pending ordinance. We reviewed what the proposal addressed and kept the HOA’s own landscaping rules separate from the city requirement.
What is the status and possible timing?
The proposed prohibition would have a phase-in from 1 Jan 2027 through 1 Jan 2031, depending on property type. The City’s summary does not say which property type receives which date. A particular HOA, condominium, commercial property, or institutional property therefore cannot be assigned a date based only on the notice.
The State Water Board page does not list an HOA or commercial compliance date in the text read.
The Council is scheduled to consider adoption at 7:00 p.m. on 10 Nov 2026 in the Council Chamber at 116 E. Foothill Boulevard. If adopted, the ordinance would become effective 30 days after adoption. That effective date and the phased compliance dates are separate.
Buyers comparing local requirements can also read about Glendora’s backflow Ordinance 2100. Cerritos has its own nonfunctional turf ordinance; its details are separate from Glendora’s.
How could Glendora enforce the rule?
If adopted, the ordinance would establish progressive enforcement. The City’s notice lists written notice, administrative penalties set in the City’s Master Fee Schedule, flow restrictors, and possible service disconnection.
The summary does not give the dollar amount of an administrative penalty. The proposal would also provide for certification of compliance, state-authorized deferrals, and an appeal process, but the notice does not explain the forms, evidence requirements, procedures, or timing for those paths.
What should a buyer review before closing?
A buyer should identify the landscaped area’s ownership, use, water source, and maintenance responsibility before estimating the proposal’s effect.
For an HOA or condominium purchase, relevant records may include governing documents, budgets, meeting minutes, landscape contracts, and notices discussing water use or turf. These materials may show whether the association maintains the area or has considered changes. They do not replace the ordinance itself.
For a commercial property, the same basic questions apply. A buyer can determine whether the site has mowed grass, whether that grass serves a recreational, civic, or community purpose, and whether potable water irrigates it. The buyer should also confirm the water supplier.
The proposal supplies no replacement costs, rebates, or sale-price effects. Those figures should not be assumed when evaluating a property’s value or estimating possible future work.
The short version
Glendora has introduced, but not yet adopted, a rule that would restrict potable water irrigation of nonfunctional turf on certain HOA common areas and other covered properties.
Private residential properties are exempt. Exceptions would remain for tree and perennial plant health, immediate health and safety needs, and recreational, civic, and community uses. The phase-in would run from 1 Jan 2027 through 1 Jan 2031, but the notice does not match individual property types to dates.
Before relying on the proposal in a purchase decision, confirm who owns and maintains the turf, who supplies the water, how the area is used, and what the final adopted text says.
For a separate estimate of a property’s value, use the home value tool.
Common questions
Has Glendora adopted Ordinance 2101?
No. The City Council introduced the amended proposal on 27 Oct 2026, and adoption is scheduled for consideration on 10 Nov 2026.
Would the proposal apply to a private residential lawn?
No. The City's notice says private residential properties are exempt.
Could the proposal cover an HOA common area?
Yes. If adopted, it would prohibit potable water irrigation of nonfunctional turf in homeowners' association common areas, subject to listed exceptions and phased timing.
When would the prohibition begin?
The City's notice gives a phase-in from 1 Jan 2027 through 1 Jan 2031, depending on property type, but does not assign a date to each type.
What could enforcement include?
If adopted, progressive enforcement could include written notice, administrative penalties, flow restrictors, and possible service disconnection, along with compliance certification, authorized deferrals, and an appeal process.
