Dallas water restrictions limit every home and business to two outdoor watering days per week based on street address, ban sprinkler use between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from April through October, and carry fines of up to $2,000 per incident after a first-offense warning. The schedule runs year-round, wet or dry, and tightens further when the city declares a drought stage.
Your Two Watering Days Depend on Your Address
Dallas City Code Section 49-21.1 assigns each property two watering days a week by the last digit of the street address.1American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – Chapter 49 Water and Wastewater
- Even-numbered addresses, and properties with no street number, water on Sundays and Thursdays.
- Odd-numbered addresses water on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Two days is the ceiling, not a quota. You can water less often, but never on a day that isn’t yours. The schedule stays in force every month of the year.2Dallas City News Hub. Save Water. Nothing Can Replace It.
No Sprinklers Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. From April Through October
From April 1 through October 31, sprinkler systems and hose-end sprinklers cannot run between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., even on your assigned day.1American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – Chapter 49 Water and Wastewater The window covers the hours when evaporation is highest. Early morning, before 10:00 a.m., is when water actually reaches the roots.
The midday ban applies only to spray irrigation. Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle, soaker hoses, and drip systems can run any hour of the day because they deliver water at the soil surface with minimal evaporation.2Dallas City News Hub. Save Water. Nothing Can Replace It.
What’s Still a Violation on Your Watering Day
Watering on the right day at the right time isn’t enough. Certain outcomes are prohibited regardless of the clock or the calendar:
- Running an automatic sprinkler system during rain or when temperatures are at or below freezing. Every automatic system in Dallas is required to have a working rain and freeze sensor.
- Operating a system with broken, missing, or misaligned heads. Spray hitting the sidewalk, driveway, or street is a code violation even on your assigned day.
- Letting runoff leave your property in a stream or puddle on any paved surface.
- Watering impervious surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, and streets.3Save Dallas Water. Exceptions and Variances
If your controller has been on autopilot for a while, walk the yard during a cycle and watch what the heads are actually hitting. A missing sensor is often the easiest and cheapest fix.
What’s Exempt From the Day Restrictions
Several watering methods sit outside the twice-weekly schedule entirely:
- Hand watering with a hose is allowed any day, any time, as long as the hose has a shut-off nozzle. A hose without one is a violation regardless of the day.1American Legal Publishing. Dallas Code of Ordinances – Chapter 49 Water and Wastewater
- Soaker hoses and drip irrigation are permitted any day at any time. Foundation watering with a soaker hose is specifically allowed, since North Texas clay soils shift with moisture.2Dallas City News Hub. Save Water. Nothing Can Replace It.
- Filling and refilling swimming pools, backwashing pool filters, and operating ornamental fountains are all allowed under the ordinance.3Save Dallas Water. Exceptions and Variances
The waste rules still apply. A soaker hose sending water into the gutter is still a violation.
Variance for New Sod, Seed, or Plants
New sod, grass seed, and bedding plants need more water than established landscaping while they root. Dallas Water Utilities issues a temporary variance that allows watering beyond the two assigned days for five weeks after installation.4Save Dallas Water. Newly-Installed Landscape or Special Circumstance Variance Application Form Apply before you start the extra watering. After the five weeks, the standard schedule resumes.
Every other provision of the ordinance still applies while the variance is active. If code enforcement finds broken heads, runoff, or watering during rain at a variance property, the variance is revoked immediately.3Save Dallas Water. Exceptions and Variances
Fines Run From $250 to $2,000
A first offense gets a warning rather than a fine, which the city treats as a chance to fix a broken head, correct a timer, or learn the schedule.5Save Dallas Water. City of Dallas Water Conservation Ordinance
After that, fines range from $250 to $2,000 per incident, with repeat offenses pushing toward the upper end.5Save Dallas Water. City of Dallas Water Conservation Ordinance Cases are handled in municipal court, and each day a violation continues can be treated as a separate offense, so a broken system left running for a week can produce stacked citations.
How Enforcement and Reporting Work
Dallas Water Utilities and municipal code enforcement respond to both patrols and citizen complaints. To report a suspected violation, use Dallas 311 online, through the mobile app, or by calling 311 from within the city. Anonymous reports are accepted, and code enforcement follows up before issuing any citation.
Drought Stages Can Tighten the Rules Further
The twice-weekly schedule is the year-round baseline. When reservoir levels fall or demand spikes, Dallas layers additional restrictions on top through its Drought Contingency Plan, which has three stages.6Save Dallas Water. City of Dallas 2024 Drought Contingency Plan
Stage 1 (Mild)
Voluntary cutback to once-a-week watering. Vehicle washing is restricted to a bucket or a hose with a shut-off nozzle. The city discourages new lawn or landscape installation.
Stage 2 (Moderate)
Once-a-week watering becomes mandatory. A high-demand surcharge takes effect: residential customers using more than 15,000 gallons per month pay a 25% rate increase on the excess.
Stage 3 (Severe)
The strictest tier, with further mandatory cutbacks and higher surcharges building on the Stage 2 rules. Any drought stage takes legal effect once the city director formally declares it, so watch for city announcements and local news before adjusting your schedule.