Texas Water Restrictions by Region: What New Residents Should Know
Texas water restrictions are not controlled by one single statewide watering schedule. A new resident may live in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, the Hill Country, the Panhandle, or a small municipal utility district and face a completely different rule set. The controlling rule usually comes from the retail water provider, the city ordinance, a drought contingency plan, a groundwater authority, or a river-basin supplier.
This knowledge-base guide explains how restrictions work across Texas regions, how to read local watering stages, and how to avoid the most common mistakes made by new homeowners, renters, HOA residents, and business customers. It is written for informational use and should be checked against the official water provider for the exact address before outdoor watering begins.
Important Notice: In Texas, a ZIP code, city name, or county name is not enough to identify the correct water restriction. The correct source is normally the water account provider listed on the bill or the official service-area lookup for the address. Many Texas neighborhoods sit inside ETJs, MUDs, WCIDs, special utility districts, or wholesale-water service areas that do not match the city printed in the mailing address.
Contents
How the Texas Water Restriction System Works
Texas uses a layered water-management system. State agencies provide planning rules, drought data, reporting requirements, and long-range regional planning. Day-to-day watering limits, however, are normally local. A resident may see terms such as Stage 1, Stage 2, Conservation Stage, Drought Contingency Plan, Water Emergency, or Critical Period Management. These labels are not interchangeable across the state.
| Level | Main Role | What New Residents Should Check |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide Agencies | Set planning requirements, drought reporting processes, water-supply data, and state-level water planning guidance. | Use state tools for drought context and service-boundary research, but do not assume they provide the exact watering day for a home. |
| Regional Water Planning Areas | Texas has 16 regional water planning groups that help prepare long-range water plans for future supply needs. | Useful for understanding the broader region, not for confirming a residential sprinkler schedule. |
| Retail Water Provider | The city utility, water district, MUD, SUD, or rural water supply corporation usually controls the customer-facing rule. | This is normally the most important source for a resident’s address. |
| Wholesale Supplier | Entities such as river authorities or regional suppliers may require customer cities and districts to reduce demand. | A local city may adopt restrictions because its wholesale supplier triggers drought response measures. |
| Groundwater or Aquifer Authority | Some areas have pumping-reduction systems tied to aquifer levels, spring flows, or permit rules. | Restrictions may affect utilities, permit holders, private wells, or groundwater users differently. |
| HOA or Property Rules | HOAs may regulate landscape appearance, but they do not replace official water restrictions. | Follow the stricter applicable water rule and check whether rainwater harvesting or drought-tolerant landscaping has separate state protections. |
Important Note: A neighborhood can be physically inside a well-known metro area while receiving water from a different provider. This is especially common around North Texas suburbs, Houston-area MUDs, Hill Country ETJs, and fast-growing edges of the I-35 corridor. Always verify the provider before relying on a citywide watering graphic found online.
Regional Patterns New Residents Should Understand
Texas water rules often reflect local hydrology. A rule in the High Plains may be tied to groundwater conservation. A rule in the Hill Country may be influenced by limestone aquifers, spring flow, and Highland Lakes storage. A Gulf Coast rule may involve a city system, a MUD, a surface-water authority, or a combination of groundwater and treated surface water.
| Texas Region | Local Geography and Jargon | Restriction Pattern Often Seen | Primary Verification Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Texas and DFW | Metroplex, Blackland Prairie, Cross Timbers, NTMWD member cities, Trinity River basin, clay soils. | Address-based watering days, seasonal time-of-day bans, maximum twice-weekly irrigation, and strong runoff rules. | City water utility, NTMWD customer city, or local water district. |
| Austin, Central Texas, and Hill Country | I-35 corridor, Balcones Escarpment, Highland Lakes, Edwards Plateau edge, ETJ, limestone and caliche pockets. | Permanent conservation rules, drought stages, address-based schedules, and special attention to irrigation type. | Austin Water, LCRA-related provider, MUD, WCID, or local utility. |
| San Antonio and Edwards Aquifer Area | Recharge zone, Edwards Aquifer, J-17 index well, Balcones Fault Zone, Stage rules. | Watering stages tied to aquifer conditions, designated watering days, and clear separation between irrigation systems and hand watering. | SAWS or the applicable Edwards-area utility and groundwater authority guidance. |
| Houston and Upper Gulf Coast | MUD, WCID, bayou watershed, Gulf Coast Aquifer, subsidence districts, master-planned communities. | City or district-specific drought plans, address-based watering days during drought, and provider-specific notices. | Houston Public Works, MUD website, district operator, or retail water provider. |
| Coastal Bend | Nueces basin, Lake Corpus Christi, Choke Canyon Reservoir, coastal wind, salt-air landscape stress. | Reservoir-based drought stages and emergency levels that can become more restrictive than inland metro rules. | Corpus Christi Water or the local Coastal Bend provider. |
| Rio Grande Valley and South Texas | Irrigation districts, colonias, resacas, caliche, Rio Grande system, municipal and rural providers. | Rules may be shaped by municipal supply, irrigation-district operations, groundwater, and regional reservoir conditions. | Local city utility, irrigation district, rural water supply corporation, or county-area provider. |
| West Texas and Permian Basin | Arroyos, playas, desert landscaping, Ogallala edge, Edwards-Trinity Plateau, brackish groundwater. | Restrictions may focus on outdoor irrigation, drought stages, pressure management, and conservation of limited supply. | City utility, county water district, or groundwater conservation district. |
| Panhandle and South Plains | High Plains, Ogallala Aquifer, playa lakes, caprock, wind exposure, agricultural water language. | Local ordinances may combine residential watering limits with broader groundwater-conservation messaging. | Municipal utility and groundwater conservation district. |
| East Texas and Piney Woods | Sabine, Neches, Angelina, rural water corporations, lake-supplied systems, sandy soils. | Rainfall is generally higher, but restrictions can still occur during utility stress, drought, repairs, or local supply limits. | City utility, rural water supply corporation, or lake-system provider. |
Common Texas Water Restriction Terms
Water restriction pages in Texas often use operational language that is familiar to local residents but confusing to newcomers. The terms below appear frequently on city, utility, water district, and drought-response pages.
| Term | Meaning in Practice | New Resident Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Drought Contingency Plan | A formal plan that sets triggers and responses for temporary supply or demand-management actions during drought or water emergency conditions. | Do not assume another city’s stage rules match your provider’s plan. |
| Conservation Stage | A water-use status that may apply even outside a severe emergency. Some cities keep year-round conservation schedules. | Year-round restrictions can exist even when the region is not in an obvious drought. |
| Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5 | Progressive restriction levels used by many providers, usually becoming more restrictive as supply stress increases. | The same stage number can mean different things in different cities. |
| Water Emergency | A more serious operating status used when supply, infrastructure, or demand conditions require stronger limits. | Emergency labels may restrict uses beyond lawn watering. |
| Designated Watering Day | A day assigned by street address, customer class, neighborhood, meter type, or provider schedule. | Odd/even systems vary. Some places use the last digit of the address; others group customer types separately. |
| Automatic Irrigation | Sprinkler systems controlled by a timer, controller, smart controller, or programmed zone schedule. | These systems are often more restricted than hand watering or drip irrigation. |
| Hose-End Sprinkler | A movable sprinkler attached to a garden hose. | Many providers treat hose-end sprinklers like automatic irrigation for time and day limits. |
| Drip Irrigation | Low-volume irrigation that applies water closer to plant roots. | Often more flexible, but not automatically exempt everywhere. |
| Soaker Hose | A porous hose that releases water slowly along its length. | Some cities allow it more often than spray irrigation; others still restrict it by schedule. |
| Hand Watering | Watering with a hand-held hose, usually with a shutoff nozzle, or with a bucket. | Often allowed more broadly, but residents must still check local stage rules. |
| Water Waste | Runoff, broken sprinkler heads, overspray onto pavement, watering during rain, or allowing water into gutters or drains. | This can be prohibited even when watering is otherwise allowed. |
| Impervious Cover | Hard surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, streets, patios, and other surfaces that do not absorb water. | Washing impervious cover is commonly restricted unless health or safety exceptions apply. |
| Foundation Watering | Targeted watering near a foundation, common in areas with expansive clay soils. | Some providers treat it separately from lawn irrigation; others require specific methods such as drip or soaker hoses. |
| Reclaimed Water | Treated wastewater reused for irrigation or other approved non-potable purposes. | Rules may differ from potable-water irrigation, but the purple-pipe or reclaimed-water provider still controls use. |
| Private Well | A groundwater well serving a home, ranch, business, or small system. | A private well may still be subject to groundwater-district rules, drought orders, or signage requirements. |
Major Texas Regions and What To Check Before Watering
North Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Metroplex
North Texas restrictions are often shaped by large municipal systems, regional wholesale providers, and fast-growing suburban service areas. A resident may live in a city that buys water from a regional supplier, while the final rule appears on the city’s own water-conservation page. Around Collin, Denton, Dallas, Tarrant, Rockwall, Kaufman, and adjacent counties, the phrase “Metroplex” can hide many separate water providers.
The most common pattern is a maximum number of watering days per week, a ban on watering during hot daytime hours, and strict rules against runoff. Blackland Prairie clay soils can shed water quickly when irrigation runs too long. In these neighborhoods, cycle-and-soak programming is often more practical than one long sprinkler cycle.
Local Detail: In DFW, a mailing address may say Dallas, McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Fort Worth, or Celina, but the water rule may still depend on the exact retail utility, MUD, or member-city system. Edge communities along US-380, SH-121, I-35E, I-35W, and the Dallas North Tollway should verify the provider rather than relying on a neighboring city schedule.
Austin, Central Texas, and the Hill Country
Central Texas is one of the most confusing regions for new residents because neighborhood boundaries often overlap with ETJs, MUDs, river-authority supply areas, and city utility service territories. West of I-35, limestone, thin soil, slopes, and the Balcones Escarpment affect runoff. East of I-35, heavier Blackland Prairie soils may hold water differently but can still produce overspray and street runoff when systems are not adjusted.
Austin-area water rules commonly distinguish between automatic irrigation systems, hose-end sprinklers, drip irrigation, commercial properties, multifamily accounts, and public or HOA common areas. The Highland Lakes and Lower Colorado River system also matter for many communities in the broader Central Texas water conversation.
San Antonio, the Recharge Zone, and the Edwards Aquifer Area
San Antonio and nearby communities are closely associated with the Edwards Aquifer, the Balcones Fault Zone, aquifer recharge features, and index-well language. Local residents may refer to the J-17 well, aquifer stages, recharge-zone rules, and SAWS watering days. New residents should understand that aquifer-based management can make this region different from a surface-reservoir city.
SAWS drought rules commonly use designated watering days based on address, with separate treatment for irrigation systems, soaker hoses, drip irrigation, tree bubblers, and hand-held watering. A hand-held hose may be more flexible in many stages, but the exact stage language must be checked before watering.
Important Warning: A property near the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone should not assume that a city lawn-watering schedule is the only rule. Groundwater permits, private wells, aquifer-authority rules, and utility delivery rules can apply differently depending on the property and water source.
Houston, the Upper Gulf Coast, and MUD Service Areas
The Houston region uses a patchwork of city utilities, municipal utility districts, water control and improvement districts, groundwater-related authorities, and large master-planned communities. A resident may live in a Houston-area subdivision but receive water from a district operator rather than directly from the City of Houston.
Because the Gulf Coast receives heavy rain in some seasons, new residents sometimes assume water restrictions are rare or irrelevant. That is not reliable. A local restriction can be triggered by drought, reservoir or system conditions, infrastructure stress, wholesale-supply requirements, or a district-specific drought plan. Bayou-country rainfall does not automatically cancel a provider’s posted rule.
Coastal Bend and Corpus Christi Area
The Coastal Bend uses a different water-supply context than many inland metro areas. Corpus Christi-area notices may refer to reservoirs such as Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir, drought stages, supply dashboards, and emergency-level terminology. Coastal wind, heat, and salt exposure can make landscapes look stressed even when the correct rule allows only limited watering.
New residents should pay close attention to whether a rule limits sprinkler irrigation, hand watering, drip irrigation, commercial use, industrial use, or new landscape watering. In reservoir-stressed periods, a Coastal Bend rule can be more restrictive than a casual “once or twice a week” assumption.
Rio Grande Valley and South Texas
In the Rio Grande Valley and broader South Texas, water systems may involve city utilities, irrigation districts, rural water supply corporations, groundwater sources, and regional reservoir conditions. Local terms such as resaca, irrigation district, colonia, and caliche may appear in local water discussions.
Residential customers should not assume that agricultural-water language applies directly to their home account. The correct rule is the posted restriction from the customer’s retail water provider, not a general regional headline.
West Texas, Permian Basin, and Desert-Edge Communities
West Texas water restrictions often reflect limited surface water, groundwater planning, arid landscaping, high evaporation, and system-specific supply conditions. Local features may include arroyos, playa basins, caliche soils, brackish groundwater, or aquifer-management language.
Residents moving from wetter states should avoid trying to maintain a high-water landscape without checking local rules. Many neighborhoods are better suited to native, adapted, or low-water plantings than frequent turf irrigation.
Panhandle, South Plains, and High Plains
The Panhandle and South Plains are strongly associated with the Ogallala Aquifer, playa lakes, wind exposure, and agricultural water vocabulary. A municipal customer in Lubbock, Amarillo, or a smaller High Plains city still needs the city or utility rule for residential watering, but the regional water conversation often includes groundwater conservation and long-term aquifer decline.
Wind can make sprinkler overspray especially noticeable in open High Plains neighborhoods. Even where watering is allowed, overspray onto pavement and runoff into the street can violate local water-waste rules.
East Texas and the Piney Woods
East Texas generally has more rainfall than many western regions, but water restrictions can still occur. Local systems may rely on surface lakes, groundwater, rural water supply corporations, or city utilities. Piney Woods soils, shaded lots, and lake-adjacent neighborhoods often require less supplemental irrigation than open, sun-exposed suburban turf.
New residents should avoid assuming that a green landscape means outdoor watering is unrestricted. Utility maintenance, drought conditions, localized supply stress, or a water-system emergency can still create temporary limits.
Address Verification Procedure for New Residents
The safest way to follow Texas water restrictions is to verify the rule by address and provider. The process below is suitable for homeowners, renters, property managers, small businesses, and HOA board members.
- Identify the retail water provider. Use the water bill, move-in utility setup, lease packet, district notice, or official service-boundary tool. Do not rely only on the city name in the mailing address.
- Find the current restriction stage. Look for the provider’s current drought stage, conservation stage, water emergency level, or watering schedule page.
- Confirm the customer class. Residential, multifamily, commercial, HOA common area, school, industrial, and golf-course rules may be different.
- Match the watering method. Automatic irrigation, hose-end sprinkler, drip irrigation, soaker hose, hand-held hose, bucket watering, and reclaimed water can be treated differently.
- Apply the address rule exactly. Check whether the schedule uses the last digit of the street address, odd/even address, property type, meter class, or a custom map.
- Check time-of-day limits. Many Texas providers restrict spray irrigation during the hottest part of the day, even on allowed watering days.
- Review water-waste rules. Runoff, overspray, broken heads, and watering during rain are commonly prohibited.
- Look for variance rules before new landscaping. New sod, new trees, foundation work, or large landscape changes may require an official variance or temporary permit.
- Save the provider page. Keep the official page, customer-service number, or district notice available because stages may change.
Address Boundary Rule: If a property sits near a city limit, ETJ line, county edge, MUD boundary, or master-planned community boundary, use the water-provider name on the account first. In Texas, service boundaries can cross visible community lines, and neighboring homes may follow different providers.
New Resident Situations That Commonly Cause Mistakes
| Situation | Why It Causes Confusion | Correct Action |
|---|---|---|
| House in an ETJ | The address may use a nearby city name, but the property may not receive city water service. | Verify the utility provider and district boundaries before following the city schedule. |
| MUD or WCID Neighborhood | Houston-area, Austin-area, and suburban communities may have district rules separate from the nearby city. | Check the district website, operator notice, or water bill insert. |
| Apartment or Multifamily Property | The property may be on a master meter or have a separate commercial/multifamily schedule. | Ask property management for the provider’s current rule and customer class. |
| HOA Common Area | Neighborhood entrances, medians, amenity centers, and common turf may not follow a single-family residential schedule. | Use the provider’s HOA, common-area, or non-residential guidance. |
| New Sod or New Trees | Residents often assume new landscaping automatically allows extra watering. | Check whether a variance, permit, or temporary establishment schedule is required. |
| Private Well | Some residents assume private wells are always exempt from restrictions. | Check groundwater conservation district rules, provider notices, and any required signage or pumping limits. |
| Rainwater Harvesting | Rain barrels and larger systems may be treated differently from potable-water irrigation. | Confirm local plumbing, backflow, HOA, and installation rules before connecting any system. |
| Foundation Watering | Expansive clay soils can create foundation concerns, especially in North and Central Texas. | Check whether foundation watering is allowed only by drip, soaker hose, or hand-held hose. |
| Corner Lot or No Street Number | Address-based schedules may not clearly cover medians, entries, parks, or corner common areas. | Look for the provider’s rule for no-address locations, common areas, or customer-service confirmation. |
| Smart Irrigation Controller | A smart controller may reduce waste but does not automatically override a legal watering schedule. | Program the controller to obey the provider’s allowed days and hours. |
Official Examples from Major Texas Systems
The following examples show how different Texas systems structure restrictions. They are included to explain regional variation, not to replace the official rule for a specific address.
| System or Region | Restriction Style Shown in Official Guidance | New Resident Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Water | Uses watering stages and separates rules by residential, commercial, multifamily, public school, HOA, golf-course, irrigation type, and address category. | Do not read only the headline stage; match the property type and irrigation method. |
| San Antonio Water System | Uses drought stages connected to regional water-resource management, with designated watering days and different treatment for irrigation systems, drip, tree bubblers, and hand-held watering. | Stage number, address digit, and watering method all matter. |
| Dallas Water Conservation | Uses a maximum twice-weekly watering framework, time-of-day restrictions, and water-waste prohibitions. | Allowed days and prohibited hours are both part of the rule. |
| Houston Public Works | Uses drought contingency stages and address-based outdoor watering schedules when restrictions are active. | A current “no stage” or rescinded restriction notice should still be checked because stage status can change. |
| Corpus Christi Water | Uses drought stages and emergency-level language tied to water-supply conditions, including reservoir-based reporting. | Coastal Bend restrictions can change with combined supply conditions, not just local rainfall. |
| North Texas Municipal Water District | Provides regional conservation guidance for customer communities, including seasonal irrigation limits and time-of-day restrictions. | The member city may publish the enforceable local schedule for customers. |
| Lower Colorado River Authority | Uses drought response and water-management rules connected to the Highland Lakes and lower Colorado River system. | A city or utility that purchases water from LCRA may implement local restrictions because of wholesale supply requirements. |
| Edwards Aquifer Authority | Uses Critical Period Management for certain groundwater users and permit holders based on aquifer-related triggers. | Aquifer rules can affect utilities and groundwater users separately from a household watering graphic. |
Landscape and Soil Guidance Under Texas Restrictions
Texas water rules are not only about the number of days. Local soil and micro-geography affect whether irrigation is useful or wasted. New residents should adjust watering behavior to the property rather than copying a generic schedule from another neighborhood.
- Blackland Prairie clay: Common around parts of North and Central Texas. It can absorb water slowly and may produce runoff if sprinklers run too long.
- Caliche and limestone soils: Common in Hill Country and parts of South and West Texas. Water may move unevenly, especially on slopes or thin-soil lots.
- Sandy East Texas soils: May drain faster, but shaded Piney Woods lots often need less irrigation than exposed turf.
- Coastal wind exposure: Gulf Coast and Coastal Bend sprinkler overspray can drift onto pavement, fences, or streets.
- High Plains wind: Panhandle and South Plains irrigation should be adjusted to avoid evaporation and overspray during windy periods.
- Urban heat islands: Dense pavement areas in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio can increase landscape stress, but they do not override watering limits.
Practical Rule: When local restrictions allow irrigation, shorter repeated cycles usually reduce runoff better than one long cycle on clay, sloped, compacted, or caliche-heavy lots. This is commonly described as cycle and soak. The method does not replace the legal watering schedule; it helps the allowed watering stay on the landscape instead of flowing into the street.
Water Sources That Shape Regional Rules
Texas restrictions make more sense when the water source is understood. The state includes major aquifers such as the Ogallala, Gulf Coast, Carrizo-Wilcox, Edwards-Trinity Plateau, Edwards Balcones Fault Zone, and Trinity aquifers, along with important surface-water systems such as the Colorado River, Trinity River, Brazos River, Rio Grande, Highland Lakes, Lake Corpus Christi, and Choke Canyon Reservoir.
A local restriction may therefore be based on reservoir storage, aquifer levels, river-basin operations, well capacity, treatment-plant capacity, distribution-system pressure, or emergency repairs. The public-facing rule may look simple, but the trigger behind it can be highly regional.
Rainwater Harvesting, HOAs, and Alternative Water
Texas generally supports rainwater harvesting, and state law includes protections that limit the ability of property owners’ associations to ban rainwater harvesting systems outright. New residents should still check installation placement, architectural guidelines, local plumbing rules, mosquito prevention guidance, backflow requirements, and whether harvested water may be used during a particular drought stage.
Rain barrels, cisterns, drip systems, graywater concepts, reclaimed water, and private wells are not all treated the same. A system that is allowed structurally may still have use restrictions during a drought stage or emergency condition.
HOA Caution: HOA landscape standards do not erase official watering restrictions. If an HOA requires turf maintenance while the utility restricts watering, the resident should document the official rule and request HOA guidance that aligns with the water provider’s restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Texas water restrictions the same by county?
No. County boundaries are not the main control point for most residential watering rules. The controlling rule is usually the retail water provider, city utility, MUD, SUD, WCID, river-authority customer rule, or groundwater-related authority for the address.
Does rain automatically remove a watering restriction?
No. Rain can improve local conditions, but a restriction remains in place until the responsible provider changes the posted stage or schedule. Reservoir storage, aquifer levels, treatment capacity, and system operations may still require conservation.
Can a new resident use the nearest big city’s schedule?
Not safely. A property near Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, or Corpus Christi may be served by a district or suburban provider with a different rule. The water bill and official provider page should be checked first.
Is hand watering always allowed in Texas?
Hand watering is often treated more flexibly than automatic irrigation, but it is not automatically unlimited everywhere. The exact drought stage and provider wording must be checked, especially during emergency conditions.
Can new sod be watered outside the normal schedule?
Only if the local provider allows it. Some utilities offer temporary variances or establishment periods for new landscape material, while others require an application or limit the method and hours. A resident should confirm before installation.
Are private wells exempt from water restrictions?
Not always. Private wells may be subject to groundwater conservation district rules, local drought orders, signage requirements, or pumping restrictions. A private well should not be assumed exempt without checking the local groundwater authority and city or district rules.
Do water restrictions apply to apartments and businesses?
Yes, they often do. Multifamily, commercial, HOA, institutional, and common-area customers may have separate schedules. A property manager should verify the customer class with the provider.
Why do some Texas cities allow watering twice a week while others allow once a week?
Rules depend on local supply, drought triggers, infrastructure, wholesale-water requirements, aquifer conditions, and adopted conservation plans. A stage number in one city does not necessarily equal the same restriction in another city.
Where can a resident confirm the water provider for an address?
The first source is the water bill or move-in utility account. For additional boundary research, residents can use official Texas Water Development Board mapping tools and then confirm directly with the provider.
Can an HOA prohibit rainwater harvesting?
Texas law includes protections for rainwater harvesting systems, but installation details, placement, screening, and safety rules may still matter. Residents should review the applicable statute, HOA documents, and local utility rules before installation.
Verification Notice
This page is informational and is not legal advice. Texas water restrictions can change after drought-stage updates, emergency declarations, utility repairs, reservoir changes, aquifer triggers, or local ordinance amendments. Before watering, installing irrigation, planting new sod, using a private well for landscape irrigation, or relying on a variance, verify the current rule with the official water provider for the exact service address.
Sources
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality — Drought Contingency Plans — Explains drought contingency plan reporting and mandatory restriction notification requirements for public water suppliers.
- Texas Water Development Board — Regional Water Planning — Describes Texas regional water planning and the 16 regional water planning areas.
- Texas Water Development Board — Understanding Drought Status and Impacts — Provides drought-status context and explains limitations of drought-monitor maps for water-supply status.
- Texas Water Development Board — Data, Apps and Maps — Provides access to mapping tools, including service-boundary research for Texas public water systems.
- Texas Water Development Board — Major Aquifers — Identifies major Texas aquifers that shape regional water planning and groundwater context.
- Texas Water Development Board — Rainwater Harvesting — Summarizes rainwater harvesting information, incentives, and Texas Property Code references.
- Texas Property Code Chapter 202 — Contains state statutory language relevant to property owners’ associations and rainwater harvesting systems.
- Austin Water — Find Your Watering Day — Shows Austin’s current watering schedule structure by customer class, address type, and irrigation method.
- San Antonio Water System — Drought Restrictions and Watering Rules — Explains San Antonio watering stages, designated watering days, and method-based restrictions.
- Houston Public Works — Current Watering Restrictions — Provides Houston’s current watering-restriction status and conservation guidance.
- Save Dallas Water — City of Dallas Water Conservation Ordinance — Explains Dallas watering limits, time-of-day restrictions, and water-waste rules.
- Corpus Christi Water — Drought Information — Provides Corpus Christi drought-stage and restriction information.
- North Texas Municipal Water District — Water Efficient Irrigation — Describes seasonal irrigation guidance used across North Texas customer communities.
- Lower Colorado River Authority — Drought — Explains LCRA drought response and outdoor watering limits for customer water systems.
- Edwards Aquifer Authority — Critical Period/Drought Management — Explains Critical Period Management and reductions for affected groundwater users and permit holders.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Preventing Runoff with Cycle and Soak Irrigation — University extension resource explaining cycle-and-soak irrigation to reduce runoff.