Beverly Hills business and commercial property owners face new restrictions on watering decorative grass, and the city wants to walk them through what's coming.

The city will hold a public Zoom workshop at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, to explain its proposed ordinance restricting the use of drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf, according to a city notice. The workshop is the first of three the city plans to hold through 2027.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1572 in October 2023. The law phases out the use of drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on covered properties, beginning in 2027.

Nonfunctional turf means mowed grass not used for recreation or community activities. Think grass strips in parking lots, along street medians or bordering signs and buildings.

Grass on sports fields, parks, playgrounds, golf courses and pet exercise areas is considered functional turf. Those areas are not affected.

The Nov. 18 workshop targets businesses, commercial and institutional property owners, property managers and homeowners' associations. According to the city notice, staff will cover what exemptions apply, alternative landscaping and water options, and how to prepare for compliance deadlines.

Those deadlines are phased in, according to the city notice:

  • Jan. 1, 2027: State, local government and public agency buildings must stop watering nonfunctional turf with drinking water.
  • Jan. 1, 2028: Institutional, commercial and industrial properties must comply.
  • Jan. 1, 2029: All common areas of homeowners' association properties and common interest developments must comply.
  • Jan. 1, 2031 (or when funding is available): Properties owned by local governments and public water systems in disadvantaged communities.

The affected property list is broad. It includes grocery and retail stores, office and warehouse buildings, hospitals, restaurants, religious institutions, educational institutions and HOA-owned common areas.

The city notice also points property owners to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's SoCalWaterSmart program for turf-conversion incentives.

To join the Nov. 18 workshop, residents and property owners can use the city's public Zoom link at beverlyhills-org.zoom.us/my/community, meeting ID 880 146 2711, passcode 90210.