Garland's Water Use Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles water use rules a little differently. In Garland, Texas, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Recycled Water Rules

Garland lets treated sewage effluent be reused as industrial process water once the City Health Department approves the added treatment needed for that specific use. The reclaimed water can never touch the potable supply through any cross connection and must run through its own dedicated pipes from treatment to point of use.

Key details: Governs: reuse of treated sewage effluent. Approval needed: City Health Department review. Cross connection: never allowed with potable supply. Piping: separate, dedicated system required. Quality standard: meets/exceeds TAC Chapter 210.

Tying reclaimed water into the potable system through any cross connection violates § 22.122 outright and is addressed through the city's cross-connection control program, which can require corrective plumbing work before service continues. The City Health Department can also refuse to approve a reuse application, or demand additional treatment, before effluent is released for an industrial use.

The rules around recycled water rules in Garland lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Turf Replacement Rebates

Garland makes it a criminal offense for anyone, including a homeowners association acting under a dedicatory instrument, to require a resident to install or irrigate turfgrass. The same section bars mandating cool-season overseeding outside golf courses and athletic fields, protecting residents who want to replace a lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping instead.

Key details: No mandatory turf: install or irrigate, never required. Applies to: landlords, HOAs, dedicatory instruments. Cool-season grass: mandate barred except golf/athletic fields. Enforcement: criminal offense, same as watering violations. Drought Stage 2: landlord hand-water cap: 2 hrs/day.

Requiring turfgrass installation or irrigation, or requiring cool-season overseeding outside golf courses and athletic fields, is a Code offense under § 51.120(16)(a)(v)-(vi), carrying the same citation-based enforcement the city applies to its other irrigation offenses under § 51.95. A dedicatory instrument's provision demanding a grass lawn is unenforceable to that extent.

The Bottom Line

Garland's water use rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Garland is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Garland's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.