In the title compound, [Cu(C(12)H(18)N(2)O(2))]·0.25H(2)O, the coordination of the O,N,N',O'-tetra-dentate ligand results in a cis-CuN(2)O(2) square-planar geometry for the metal ion and the presence of two six-membered and one five-membered chelate rings. The complete complex mol-ecule is close to planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.047 Å). The uncoordinated water mol-ecule (O-atom site symmetry 2) was modelled as half occupied. In the crystal, C-H⋯O(w) and O(w)-H⋯O (w = water) hydrogen bonds link the components into layers parallel to ab plane.