San Antonio, TX Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in San Antonio, 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
- Watering day
- Last digit of street address: 0/1 Monday to 8/9 Friday
- No address or several
- Wednesday is the irrigation day
- Stage I hours
- 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to midnight
- Stage II and III hours
- 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to midnight
- Stage IV frequency
- Assigned day every other week; drip Fridays only
- Handheld hose
- Allowed any time on any day in all stages
- Fines per offense
- $50 to $100 first, up to $2,000 third or later
Summary
Once a drought stage is declared, San Antonio sprinkler and in-ground irrigation is limited to one weekday set by the last digit of the street address: Monday for 0 or 1 through Friday for 8 or 9. Stage I allows 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to midnight, Stage II starts the morning window at 5:00 a.m., and Stage IV cuts watering to every other week.
During any period when stage restrictions have been declared to be in effect, irrigation with a sprinkler or irrigation system of existing landscape on any property (other than golf courses and athletic fields, the restrictions for which are set out in section 34-332 ) may occur only on certain designated days and at certain times, as follows: ... If the last digit of the street address ends in: 0 or 1 the irrigation day is Monday, 2 or 3 the irrigation day is Tuesday, 4 or 5 the irrigation day is Wednesday, 6 or 7 the irrigation day is Thursday, 8 or 9 the irrigation day is Friday. If there is no street address associated with the property such as a parkway or if there is more than one street address associated with a single contiguous property, the irrigation day is Wednesday. ... Irrigation with a soaker hose, hose-end sprinkler or in-ground irrigation system is allowed on the day specified in subsection (1) between the hours of 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to midnight. Drip irrigation systems may run up to three days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Landscape irrigation with a handheld hose is allowed at any time on any day.
Full Breakdown
Section 34-323 switches on whenever a stage restriction has been declared under the drought management plan in Chapter 34, and it reaches residential and commercial property inside the city limits and the extraterritorial jurisdiction where the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) provides water or wastewater service. Stages follow the Edwards Aquifer level at index well J-17, measured as a ten-day rolling average: Stage I at 660 feet above mean sea level, Stage II at 650, Stage III at 640 and Stage IV at 630, although the city manager, consulting with the SAWS president/CEO, can declare or delay Stage IV based on other conditions (§ 34-319). A declared stage takes effect the moment notice is published (§ 34-320).
Your watering day comes from the last digit of the street address: 0 or 1 is Monday, 2 or 3 Tuesday, 4 or 5 Wednesday, 6 or 7 Thursday and 8 or 9 Friday. A parkway with no address, or a contiguous property with more than one address, waters on Wednesday. That schedule applies in Stages I through IV.
Stage I permits soaker hoses, hose-end sprinklers and in-ground systems on the assigned day from 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to midnight, with drip irrigation running up to three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Stage II trims the morning window to 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., keeps the 9:00 p.m. to midnight evening window, and limits drip to Monday and Friday in those same windows. Stage III keeps every Stage II limit and adds a drought surcharge on SAWS accounts that meet the thresholds in § 34-128. Stage IV allows the assigned day only every other week, starting the second Monday after the declaration, restricts drip to Friday once a week, repeats the surcharge, and lets the president/CEO add further limits. A handheld hose is allowed at any time on any day in every stage.
Golf courses and athletic fields follow § 34-332 instead. The same section lets a user request a variance with a conservation plan showing 60 percent irrigation efficiency, and it sets up a roughly five-week new-landscape variance. The section was last amended by Ord. No. 2024-06-20-0480 on June 20, 2024.
Violations & Fines
Under § 34-288, causing or allowing landscape watering outside the prescribed hours is a violation punishable by municipal fine. Section 34-295 sets criminal fines at $50 to $100 for a first offense, $250 to $500 for a second and $1,000 to $2,000 for a third or later, with each day counted as a new violation. Civil penalties can reach $1,000 per violation. At repeat locations the SAWS president/CEO can discontinue potable water service under § 34-289, even if no earlier fine was imposed. The meter holder, owner, occupant or resident is the responsible party (§ 34-293).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my San Antonio watering day during a drought stage?
What hours can I run my sprinkler in Stage I and Stage II?
Can I still water by hand or with drip irrigation?
What changes in Stage IV?
What happens if I water on the wrong day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
How San Antonio compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Antonio to another location·View the Texas landscaping rules overview
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Water Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bexar County handle water restrictions.