Lubbock, TX Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Lubbock, TX, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 22.03.133, Operation
- Restricted season
- April 1 through September 30
- Permitted watering hours
- 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- New-landscape exemption
- Up to 3 weeks after planting
- Appeal deadline
- 15 business days to permit and license board
- Penalty basis
- Misdemeanor plus nuisance under § 34.02.031
Summary
From April 1 to September 30, Lubbock bans city-water landscape irrigation except between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Irrigating during those restricted daytime hours, during freezing weather, with a leaking sprinkler head or valve, or without required backflow prevention is a criminal offense enforced as a nuisance.
From April 1 to September 30, landscape irrigation utilizing water, in whole or in part, obtained from the city water system, is prohibited except during the times between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. ... A person commits an offense if he knowingly or recklessly, on premises owned, leased, or managed by the person, operates a lawn or landscape irrigation system or device that: (1) Irrigates at any time prohibited by subsection (a); ... (4) Has any controllable leak, including, without limitation, broken or missing sprinkler head(s), leaking valve(s), or leaking or broken pipes.
Full Breakdown
133, Operation, sets Lubbock's seasonal watering-hours rule. ; the city manager may recommend further day-of-week or schedule restrictions to the city council by order. Exemptions cover subsurface or soaker-hose irrigation, hand-attended hose watering, brief system testing, and irrigation of newly installed landscape material for up to three weeks after planting. 054, has any controllable leak such as a broken or missing sprinkler head, leaking valve, or broken pipe, creates misting from excessive pressure, or causes significant runoff. Subsection (c) lets a customer request an exception to the watering times before irrigating, appealable to the permit and license appeal board within 15 business days of a denied internal appeal.
031. In assessing the fine, the municipal court may weigh the volume of water released, the degree of hazard to health, safety, welfare or the environment, the number of prior violations or complaints, the violator's cooperation in eliminating the release, and the weather conditions at the time.
Violations & Fines
Irrigating with city water outside the 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. window between April 1 and September 30, or irrigating during freezing weather, without required backflow prevention, or with a controllable leak, is a misdemeanor under § 22.03.134 punishable per the general penalty section § 1.01.004, and is separately treated as a nuisance under § 34.02.031. The municipal court weighs water volume released, hazard level, prior violations, cooperation and weather conditions when setting the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can I water my lawn in Lubbock in the summer?
Can I water new sod outside Lubbock's restricted hours?
Is a leaking sprinkler head a violation in Lubbock?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lubbock
How Lubbock compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Lubbock to another location·View the Texas landscaping rules overview
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