Irving's Water Use Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles water use rules a little differently. In Irving, Texas, there are 3 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

Irving's Water Management Plan documents an active, contractual, non-potable water reuse system rather than a rule for individual customers. The Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District delivers reclaimed effluent and Trinity River surface water to irrigate the Las Colinas development's four golf courses, medians and lakes, and the city separately reuses treated effluent to irrigate its own Irving Golf Club under a Trinity River Authority contract.

Key details: Las Colinas development: 12,000 acres, 4 golf courses. DCURD reclaimed-water contract: up to 8,000 acre-ft/yr (7.14M gal/day). Actual DCURD reuse (5-yr avg): 56,980,480 gallons per year. Irving Golf Club reuse permit: up to 31,600 acre-ft/yr, Jim Chapman Lake. TRA effluent contract (golf club): up to 25 million gallons/day.

Section 5.10 describes infrastructure and interlocal contracts, not a rule enforced against residents, so it carries no penalty of its own. Enforcement inside the same Water Management Plan runs through Irving Water Utilities' notice-of-violation and citation process for irrigation and drought-restriction violations, and through the Code's Section 1-6 general penalty, which fines Code and ordinance violations up to $2,000.00 per day for water-related offenses.

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

Turf Replacement Rebates

Irving's landscape ordinance, updated by the city council on February 15, 2018, lets residential and commercial properties meet minimum landscaping standards by replacing grass turf with rock, stone, gravel, artificial turf or xeriscape planting instead of irrigated lawn. The Land Development Code carries the same option forward for residential yards, while a companion irrigation ordinance sets permit fees and equipment rules for any sprinkler system installed alongside the new landscaping.

Key details: Ordinance rewrite: Feb. 15, 2018 (Zoning Ord. No. 1144, § 52-35a). Turf alternative allowed: rock, stone, gravel, artificial turf, xeriscape. Impervious surface limit: front/side yards, except drives/walks (LDC § 4.5.4(b)). Irrigation permit fee: $100 residential / $150 commercial. Max zoning violation fine: $2,000 per day (§ 1-6).

Irving Code § 1-6 sets the general penalty for Code and ordinance violations: offenses involving zoning, including the landscaping and irrigation standards, carry a fine of up to $2,000.00, while other Code violations top out at $500.00. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense. Water Utilities staff enforce the companion irrigation ordinance with verbal advisories, a written notice of violation, and citations for irrigation and landscaping non-compliance that isn't corrected.

Leak Reporting Duty

Irving makes it a criminal offense to let water leak, pond, or run unrepaired on your property. City Code Sec. 41-14.1(c) requires property owners to abate leaking or flowing water rather than let it reach a neighbor's lot, a street, or a right-of-way, backed by a misdemeanor fine.

Key details: Duty: Abate leaking, pooling, or flowing water. Citation: Code Sec. 41-14.1(c). Fine range: $1.00 to $2,000.00 per day. Meter access: Owner may not deny entry, Sec. 41-11(e). Billing credit: One leak adjustment per year, Sec. 52-10.

Violating the water-waste duty in Sec. 41-14.1 is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $1.00 and not more than $2,000.00, and each day the leak or water waste continues is a separate offense. Denying the city access to repair or read a meter or leak detector under Sec. 41-11(e), or covering a meter under Sec. 41-11(d), are independently unlawful. The city may also pursue civil remedies, including injunctive relief and civil penalties, under Sec. 41-14.1(g).

The Bottom Line

Irving'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 Irving is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Irving's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.