Rowlett, TX Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Rowlett, 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
- Irrigation sensors required
- Rain and freeze sensors mandatory
- Watering tied to
- City drought contingency plan in effect
- Plan source
- § 70-75 Water Conservation Plan
- Plan appendices
- A through H, on file with city secretary
- Applies to
- New development landscaped areas
Summary
Rowlett ties routine landscape watering to whatever citywide drought plan is in effect and requires new development's automatic irrigation systems to carry rain and freeze sensors.
Watering shall be done on a regular basis, subject to any city drought contingency plan in effect at the time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29).
Full Breakdown
Section 77-504E of the Rowlett Development Code (Chapter 77) requires every landscaped area on new development to have an automatic, complete-coverage irrigation system with functioning rain and freeze sensors, calibrated so it does not overwater (§ 77-504E.5). The same subsection's maintenance rule ties routine watering directly to citywide drought rules: watering shall be done on a regular basis, subject to any city drought contingency plan in effect at the time (§ 77-504E.7(e)). That plan is adopted separately: Section 70-75 establishes Rowlett's Water Conservation and Water Resource and Emergency Management Plan by ordinance, incorporating Appendices A-H, kept on file with the city secretary, that set the specific conservation stages and outdoor-watering restrictions in force at any given time.
Violations & Fines
Failing to irrigate or maintain landscaping per § 77-504E, or watering outside an active drought-plan restriction, is a zoning code violation; Rowlett's general penalty (§ 1-13) reaches up to $2,000.00 per day for zoning violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rowlett restrict what days I can water my lawn?
Do new Rowlett landscapes need rain sensors on their sprinklers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rowlett
How Rowlett compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Rowlett to another location·View the Texas landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle water restrictions.