WateringTimes
Mandatory scheduleVerified Schedule for October 2026

Dallas watering schedule 2026

Dallas Water Utilities customers water by house number: odd numbers Wednesday and Saturday, even numbers Thursday and Sunday. Never 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today
Odd addresses
Even addresses

Rules from: Dallas Water Utilities (City of Dallas), under Dallas City Code Section 49-21.1 (official schedule )

Dallas watering days by season

Year-round

Two days a week
  1. MON
  2. TUE
  3. WED
  4. THU
  5. FRI
  6. SAT
  7. SUN

Odd house numbersEven house numbersTodayEarlier this week

No sprinklers between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

HoursNever between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., on any day of the year.
Off seasonThe same days and the same 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban apply all year.
How the rule works

Dallas homes run sprinklers on two assigned days a week, all year. Addresses ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) water on Sunday and Thursday; addresses ending in an odd number water on Wednesday and Saturday. Lawn and landscape watering is banned between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on every day of the year. That hour ban used to run only from April 1 through October 31; Ordinance 33420, passed by the City Council on May 13, 2026, made it year-round from May 26, 2026. The day limit does not cover hand watering, soaker hoses or drip irrigation (Section 49-21.1(b)(2)). These are the standing rules of Dallas City Code Section 49-21.1, not a drought stage; no drought stage declaration was found on Dallas Water Utilities pages.

Rules and fines in Dallas

Current stage No drought stage declaration found. The twice-weekly schedule and the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban are standing, year-round rules of Dallas City Code Section 49-21.1, not drought measures. The 2024 Drought Contingency Plan (Council resolution 24-0544) adds stricter stages, such as one watering day a week on the trash pick-up day in Stage 2, only when the City Manager orders a stage. Save Dallas Water, the DWU department pages and Dallas City News show no stage in force.

The exceptions include drip irrigation, hand watering, food gardens, potted plants, new plantings, recycled water and fixing or testing sprinklers, each with its own conditions. A written exception can also be requested. The full text is below.

First: a warning. Then $250 to $2,000 per incident.

Full text of the rules

Exceptions to the Dallas rules

  • The day limit does not apply to a hand-held hose, drip irrigation device, soaker hose or hand-held bucket, or to watering a foundation with one of them (Section 49-21.1(b)(2)(A) and (E)).
  • Repair or testing of a new or existing automatic irrigation system is a defense to the day limit (49-21.1(b)(2)(B)). DWU's FAQ says the irrigation professional must be on site.
  • Irrigating nursery stock at a commercial plant nursery (49-21.1(b)(2)(C)).
  • Water from a source other than the city system, such as a well or reclaimed water, is not regulated by the ordinance (49-21.1(b)(1) and (b)(2)(D)); the Dallas Plumbing Code requires a sign for non-city water (Variances page).
  • Potted plants are not part of the landscape, so the Variances page says they need no variance and can be hand watered with a hose or watering can at any time. The FAQ says personal and community vegetable gardens watered by drip irrigation, soaker hoses or hand watering have no day limit.
  • Variances: the director can grant variances from the hours, the days or the sensor rule for extreme hardship (49-21.1(d)), including large properties and newly installed landscapes other than cool-season grasses. A new landscape variance allows extra watering days for up to five weeks after installation. Inconvenience and controllers without day-of-week scheduling do not qualify.
  • No watering that sends a constant stream of water off the lawn onto a street or other drainage area, and no automatic system running during any form of precipitation (49-21.1(b)(3)).
  • No running an automatic system with a broken or missing sprinkler head (49-21.1(b)(4)). Every automatic irrigation system must have a working rain and freeze sensing device (49-21.1(c)).

Fines in Dallas

  1. 1First offense: a warning (Save Dallas Water ordinance page).
  2. 2Later violations: fines of $250 to $2,000 per incident (Save Dallas Water ordinance page).
  3. 3Ordinance 33420, which amended Section 49-21.1 in 2026, provides that a person violating a provision of that ordinance is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 (Section 16). The Chapter 49 penalty section could not be read, so this page does not give the maximum.
  4. 4During a declared drought stage, violating the Drought Contingency Plan is a misdemeanor with a fine of not less than $250 and not more than $2,000 (2024 Drought Contingency Plan, Section X).

Report water waste

Call 3-1-1 or use the Save Dallas Water online contact form. Give the address, time and date of the violation and your name and phone number, which are kept private (Save Dallas Water FAQ).

Sprinkler minutes are not computed for Dallas: the free run time calculator and the personal plan use California's state climate table, so they cover California cities only.

Dallas watering questions

Which days can I water my lawn in Dallas?

It depends on the last digit of your street address. Addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8, and properties with no address number, water on Sunday and Thursday. Addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 water on Wednesday and Saturday. Apartments and office complexes with several addresses use the lowest address number. No address gets Monday, Tuesday or Friday (Maximum Twice-Weekly Watering Schedule, Dallas City Code 49-21.1(b)(2)).

Is the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. watering ban in Dallas only for summer?

Not anymore. Until May 2026 the ban ran from April 1 through October 31. Ordinance 33420, passed on May 13, 2026 and in effect since May 26, 2026, amended Section 49-21.1(b)(1) so no lawn or landscape watering is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day during the year. Older bill inserts that show the April to October dates are out of date.

Can I hand water or use drip irrigation on other days in Dallas?

The day limit covers only hose-end sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems. Section 49-21.1(b)(2) exempts a hand-held hose, drip irrigation device, soaker hose or hand-held bucket, and the 2026 amendment adds watering a foundation that way. Dallas Water Utilities says these methods are allowed at any time, while the code text of the hour ban names no such exception, so hand watering outside 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. avoids the conflict.

What is the fine for watering on the wrong day in Dallas?

The Save Dallas Water ordinance page says a first offense gets a warning and violations can bring fines of $250 to $2,000 per incident. Ordinance 33420, which changed the watering hours in 2026, sets a fine not to exceed $500 for violating its own provisions (Section 16). The Chapter 49 penalty section could not be read, so check a citation's amount with Dallas Water Utilities.

Does Dallas have a drought stage in effect right now?

No drought stage declaration was found on Dallas Water Utilities pages. The twice-weekly schedule and the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban are permanent rules. The 2024 Drought Contingency Plan, adopted by Council resolution 24-0544, can tighten them: Stage 1 triggers include lake storage below 65% of DWU's share, and Stage 2 limits sprinklers to one day a week on the trash pick-up day for homes.

Can I get a variance to water new sod or seed in Dallas?

Yes, by application. Dallas Water Utilities takes variance applications for newly installed landscapes, other than cool-season grasses, for extra watering days for up to five weeks after installation (Section 49-21.1(d); Variances page). Be ready to show proof of the sod, seed and soil purchase. Without a granted variance, watering new plantings outside the assigned days and times can bring a citation. The FAQ says a few new shrubs or a new tree can be watered by hand, soaker hose or drip on any day without a variance.

Do Dallas watering rules apply in suburbs that buy Dallas water?

No. Dallas Water Utilities sells treated water wholesale to 23 customer cities or entities, and each sets its own rules. DWU's FAQ says some adopted a twice-weekly schedule but they cannot be compelled to mirror the Dallas requirements. If your bill comes from a suburb's own water utility, follow that city's schedule.

How do I report a sprinkler violation in Dallas?

Call 3-1-1 or use the online contact form on SaveDallasWater.com. Dallas Water Utilities asks for the address, time and date of the violation and your name and phone number, which are only used to call you back and are kept private.

Sources and verification

Rules checked October 2026. The schedule is watched for changes and updated when the supplier changes it.

Water supplier: Dallas Water Utilities (City of Dallas), under Dallas City Code Section 49-21.1 (official schedule )

All 11 sources

Nearby water suppliers

PlanoCity of Plano water utilityRecommended: twice a week April to October, once a week November to MarchCity water
FriscoCity of Frisco water utilityMandatory: By trash day: 1 day a week in spring and fall, 2 in summer, none in winterCity water
Fort WorthFort Worth WaterMandatory: 2 days/week all year: even Wednesday and Saturday, odd Thursday and SundayCity water
McKinneyCity of McKinney water utilityMandatory: 2 days a week all year: your trash day and three days laterCity water

The name on the water bill decides which rules apply.