The Beverly Hills Planning Commission took up a state law Oct. 22 that will bar commercial property owners from watering decorative grass with drinking water.

The discussion centered on Assembly Bill 1572, or AB1572, which bans the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on commercial, institutional and industrial properties, according to the Beverly Hills Courier. Residential properties are not affected.

Nonfunctional turf refers to turf that does not serve a recreational or community purpose, according to a city staff report cited by the Courier. The State Water Resources Control Board defines it more specifically as mowed grass not in a recreational use area or community space. The board lists examples: grass in street rights-of-way and parking lots, grass permanently fenced or otherwise permanently inaccessible, and grass bordering signs, buildings or sidewalks. Grass used for sports, community gatherings or park recreation is exempt.

The Oct. 22 agenda item was listed as an informational presentation from the Public Works Department. Josette Descalzo, the city's environmental compliance and sustainability manager, was listed as the presenter on the meeting agenda.

Deadlines are staggered

AB1572 phases in its ban by property type, according to a legal analysis by Best Best & Krieger, a California municipal law firm:

  • Jan. 1, 2027: Properties owned by local governments and public agencies must stop watering nonfunctional turf with potable water. Public water systems must also revise their rules and notify customers by this date.
  • Jan. 1, 2028: Commercial, industrial and institutional properties must comply.
  • Jan. 1, 2029: Common areas in homeowners associations, common interest developments and certain community service organizations must comply.

Beverly Hills city-owned properties face the nearest deadline: Jan. 1, 2027. Commercial and institutional properties in the city would need to comply by Jan. 1, 2028.

The law includes limited exceptions. Potable irrigation is still allowed where it is necessary to protect trees and other perennial non-turf plantings, or to address an immediate health and safety need, according to the legal analysis.

Residential customers may continue to use potable water for turf irrigation.

City has been building toward this

The Planning Commission presentation followed action by the Beverly Hills Public Works Commission. At its Oct. 8 meeting, Public Works staff recommended the commission approve a draft nonfunctional turf ordinance to send to the City Council for adoption. A June 2026 memo from Robert Welch, the city's utilities general manager, also placed the AB1572 ordinance on the Public Works Commission's November 2026 agenda.

The turf discussion is separate from a synthetic turf debate the city took up in 2025. The Beverly Hills City Council voted July 17, 2025, to reject an ordinance that would have banned synthetic turf in residential front yards, as the Beverly Hills Courier reported at the time. AB1572 deals with watering real grass on commercial properties, not synthetic turf on residential ones.

Both public water systems and cities and counties are authorized to enforce the new restrictions under AB1572, according to the state law. Before a city or county initiates enforcement against a customer served by a retail water system, it must first notify that system.

The AB1572 nonfunctional turf ordinance is also scheduled for the Public Works Commission's November 2026 meeting, according to Welch's memo.