Most Dallas County cities buy water from North Texas Municipal Water District or Dallas Water Utilities. Both impose year-round twice-weekly watering caps and stricter Stage 1 to Stage 4 drought triggers. Dallas County itself does not set retail watering rules.
Dallas County is served primarily by Dallas Water Utilities and North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), which both adopt drought contingency plans under TCEQ rule 30 TAC 288. Year-round, NTMWD member cities allow outdoor irrigation at most twice per week, typically prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. April through October. Stage 1 drought triggers reduce hand-watering and car-washing rules. Stage 3 and 4 may impose once-weekly or no-irrigation periods. Member cities enforce through utility billing and code officers. County buildings follow city utility rules where located.
Violations of city watering ordinances carry fines from 50 to 2,000 dollars per occurrence depending on the city, plus potential utility shut-off for repeat offenders. Dallas County does not directly enforce.
See how Cedar Hill'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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.