New Braunfels, TX Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Turf cap trigger
- Stage III drought declaration
- Turf limit
- Not more than 50% of landscape area
- Enforcing agency
- New Braunfels Utilities (NBU)
- Exception path
- Written alternate landscape plan filed with NBU
- First-offense fine
- $100 to $500 (Sec. 130-219(c)(1))
- Governing chapter
- City Code Ch. 130, Div. 7, Sec. 130-228
Summary
During a declared Stage III drought, New Braunfels caps new residential and commercial landscape installations at 50 percent turf under Code Sec. 130-228, requiring mulch and zonal irrigation for the rest. Property owners or builders who want more turf must get New Braunfels Utilities' written approval first; outside Stage III, the numeric cap doesn't apply, though Stage I and II impose their own variance-letter requirements.
Installation of new landscapes is permitted only if not more than 50 percent of the available landscape area is planted with turf and if proper horticultural practices are followed, including use of mulch and zonal irrigation systems if a permanent irrigation system is installed. A user may file with NBU a request to install more than 50 percent turf.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
New Braunfels regulates residential and commercial turf area through its drought management plan, Chapter 130, Article IV, Division 7 of the City Code. Under Sec. 130-228's 'Landscape Irrigation: New Landscaping Plants' provisions, once the city declares Stage III drought restrictions the rule for new yards tightens sharply: installation of new landscapes is permitted only if not more than 50 percent of the available landscape area is planted with turf, with proper horticultural practices including mulch and zonal irrigation. A homeowner or builder who wants more turf than that must file a written request with New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) describing the landscaping plan and how it meets the chapter's conservation goals; approval is not automatic, and NBU can grant an alternate landscaping plan as an exception.
The cap only binds during a declared Stage III event: Stage I allows new landscape watering with a variance confirmation letter, and Stage II requires prior variance approval before installing new landscaping at all, without imposing the numeric turf ceiling. Landscape renovations during Stage III face the same rule: renovated beds must use mulch, and any irrigation added to a renovated area must be zonal. Sec. 1 separately requires builders to offer a xeriscape option, defined at Sec. 130-206 as landscaping capped at 50 percent turf grass, to every buyer of a new single-family home regardless of drought stage.
Violations of the drought management plan are enforced under Sec. 130-219, and NBU's conservation coordinator (Sec. 130-218) handles variance requests and appeals to a three-member customer variance appeals panel.
Violations & Fines
Installing a new landscape with more than 50 percent turf during a declared Stage III drought without an approved alternate plan violates the water conservation ordinance under Sec. 130-219(a). A first offense carries a fine of $100.00 to $500.00, rising to $200.00-$500.00 for a second offense and $400.00-$500.00 for a third and later offenses; violations tied to public health or sanitation can be fined up to $2,000.00. Each day of an unresolved violation counts as a separate offense, and NBU may impose civil penalties up to $1,000.00 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does New Braunfels' 50 percent turf cap on new landscapes apply?
Can I install more than 50 percent turf during Stage III?
What plants count toward meeting the turf cap?
What happens if I ignore the cap?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Braunfels
Texas rules heatmap·Compare New Braunfels to another location·View the Texas water use rules overview
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