Austin Water enforces year-round watering schedules and tightening drought-stage restrictions under City Code Chapter 6-4, limiting irrigation to specific days and hours based on address and current Highland Lakes combined storage levels.
City Code Chapter 6-4 (Water Conservation) gives Austin Water authority to set drought stages tied to Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis combined storage. Conservation Stage (default year-round) limits automatic-irrigation watering to one day per week assigned by address, between midnight and 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. and midnight. Drought Stage 2 and 3 add tighter time windows, fountain restrictions, vehicle-wash limits, and pool-fill bans. Hand-watering and drip irrigation are typically allowed any day. Restaurants must serve water only on request. The Conservation Division audits high-use accounts, issues warnings, and can throttle service. Schedules reset Sundays and apply to homes, businesses, and HOA common areas alike.
Violations under City Code 6-4 escalate from written warning, to $475 first citation, $1,000 second, and up to $2,000 per offense for repeat violations. Persistent abuse triggers flow restrictors installed at the meter at the customer's expense.
See how Austin's lawn watering restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.