San Antonio Watering Rules: What They Mean for Your Lawn and Landscape

Quick answer

SAWS limits sprinkler watering to early morning and late evening hours year-round and prohibits water waste. When the Edwards Aquifer's 10-day average at the J-17 well falls to 660 feet, drought stages can begin, limiting sprinklers to an assigned weekday based on the last digit of your address, or less in deeper stages. Nearby cities have their own utilities and stage rules, so always check your own provider.

Last updated October 22, 2026

If you live in San Antonio, your lawn and garden are tied to the Edwards Aquifer. The aquifer is the main water source for the city, and when it drops during dry spells, watering rules tighten. Those rules affect when you can run sprinklers, how practical a thirsty lawn is, when it makes sense to lay sod, and what kind of irrigation system is worth installing. This guide explains how the rules work and how to plan a yard that stays healthy under them. Rules change, so always confirm the current details with your water provider before making plans.

Who sets your rules

Most homes in the City of San Antonio are served by San Antonio Water System (SAWS), and the city's drought rules apply to them. Many surrounding communities have their own providers with their own schedules: New Braunfels Utilities, Boerne Utilities, and several providers in the Schertz and Cibolo area, among others. Some smaller cities post their own restriction notices that follow Edwards Aquifer Authority stage orders. The first step is simply checking your water bill to see who your provider is.

SAWS year-round rules

Even when there is no drought declared, SAWS year-round rules apply. As listed on the SAWS year-round rules page:

Sprinklers and irrigation systems may run on any day, but only from midnight to 10 a.m. or from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Drip irrigation follows the same hours.
Hand watering with a hand-held hose, soaker hose or bucket is allowed any time.
Water waste is prohibited at all times. Letting water run into a gutter, ditch or drain, or failing to repair a controllable leak, counts as waste.

In practice, that means sprinkler heads spraying the street or sidewalk, or a broken line bubbling at the curb, can get you in trouble even in a wet year.

How drought stages are triggered

SAWS and the City of San Antonio watch the Edwards Aquifer level at a monitoring well known as J-17. When the rolling 10-day average falls to 660 feet, the City Manager, in consultation with SAWS, can declare Stage 1. Further drops can lead to deeper stages. Coming out of a stage is also tied to the aquifer recovering above trigger levels for a period of time. Because the aquifer responds to rainfall over the recharge zone, stages can last for months, and San Antonio has spent long stretches under restrictions in recent dry years. Local TV weather and saws.org report the current stage.

What changes during a stage

Drought stages mainly restrict sprinklers and irrigation systems. The core pattern has been:

Sprinkler watering is limited to one assigned weekday, based on the last digit of your street address: 0 or 1 on Monday, 2 or 3 on Tuesday, 4 or 5 on Wednesday, 6 or 7 on Thursday, and 8 or 9 on Friday.
No sprinkler watering on weekends.
Allowed hours on your day are limited to morning and evening windows.
Deeper stages cut sprinkler use further. Under Stage 3, for example, landscape watering with irrigation systems has been limited to once every other week.
Hand watering is usually treated more flexibly than sprinklers, though deeper stages can limit it too.

The exact hours and details have changed over time, so look up the current table for your stage rather than relying on memory or an old magnet on the fridge.

Nearby cities

New Braunfels Utilities uses address-based watering days with no weekend sprinkler use during drought stages, and its own hours and stage triggers.
Boerne Utilities has year-round limits on midday landscape watering and its own four-stage plan with assigned weekdays.
Schertz and Cibolo addresses may be served by different providers with different schedules.
Alamo Heights posts restriction notices for its residents when stages change.

If you're near a city line, don't assume your neighbor across the street follows the same rules.

Planning a lawn around the rules

A lawn that can only be watered once a week, or once every two weeks, needs a grass and a soil that can handle it. Bermuda, zoysia and buffalograss tolerate dry spells better than St. Augustine, which needs more water to stay green. Deeper soil holds more water between waterings, so lots with a few inches of soil over limestone are where lawns suffer first. Water deeply on your allowed day, and on clay split the run into short cycles so water soaks in instead of running off.

Timing new sod and plantings

New sod and new plants need frequent watering for weeks. If a drought stage is in effect, ask your provider whether there is any variance or allowance for new landscapes before you buy materials. Some providers have offered one, with conditions; others have not. Fall planting of trees, shrubs and perennials helps because cooler weather reduces water demand during establishment. Hand watering and drip are often the most practical tools for getting new plants through their first summer under restrictions.

Irrigation upgrades that pay off

Drip in beds, which puts water at the roots with little waste.
Smart controllers that adjust to weather. EPA's WaterSense label identifies controllers that meet its efficiency criteria.
Rain or moisture shut-off devices, which Texas rules call for on new systems. SAWS has run a rain sensor program; check current details.
Fixing overspray and leaks, which are both wasteful and a water-waste violation.
Rezoning so lawn and beds, and sun and shade, run separately.

Work on an irrigation system for hire must be done by a TCEQ-licensed irrigator or a licensed plumber, and the City of San Antonio requires an irrigation permit with the irrigator's registered license. A licensed tester must check the backflow assembly after installation or repair.

Replacing grass with water-wise beds

For many homeowners the best response to watering limits is simply less lawn. SAWS has supported this through its WaterSaver coupons and rebates, run through the Garden Style San Antonio site, which have covered converting grass to plant beds and, under separate terms, patios or decks. Past program rules have included minimum areas of grass removed and changes to irrigation in the converted area, and amounts and deadlines change from year to year, so read the current terms before you start. Even without a rebate, converting hard-to-water areas such as side strips, slopes and deep shade can cut water use and maintenance.

What drives the cost of a water-wise conversion

The size of the area and how much turf has to be removed and hauled off.
Irrigation changes: capping spray heads, converting zones to drip, or adding a smart controller.
Soil prep, which differs a lot between clay and rocky ground.
Plant sizes and quantities; smaller plants cost less and often establish better.
Edging, mulch, decomposed granite or stone paths.

Get written, itemized estimates from more than one company and ask each how the design fits your provider's current rules.

Bottom line

Watering rules are a fact of life in San Antonio, not a temporary inconvenience. Know your provider, know your stage, and design the yard so it can thrive on the water you're allowed to use. For help with sprinklers and drip, see our irrigation page, or request a landscaping company to plan a water-wise yard.

Frequently asked questions

What day can I water in San Antonio?

Under drought stages, SAWS assigns sprinkler days by the last digit of your address: 0 or 1 Monday, 2 or 3 Tuesday, 4 or 5 Wednesday, 6 or 7 Thursday, and 8 or 9 Friday, with no weekend sprinkler use. Without a stage, sprinklers can run any day during the allowed hours. Check saws.org for the current stage.

Can I hand water during drought restrictions?

Hand watering with a hose has generally been allowed more freely than sprinklers, but deeper stages can add limits. Check your provider's current stage table.

Do the SAWS rules apply in New Braunfels or Boerne?

No. Those cities have their own utilities, New Braunfels Utilities and Boerne Utilities, with their own watering schedules and drought stages.

Sources and further reading

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