Watering Rules & Drought Restrictions
San Antonio Water System uses watering rules and restrictions, established by city ordinance, to proactively manage the region’s water resources. The rules & restrictions limit water use based on specific levels of the Edwards Aquifer.
While landscape watering rules have helped us weather droughts in the past, our per-person water use has been inching higher. That’s why SAWS is adopting reasonable adjustments to our drought plan – to save water now and reduce the chance of stricter rules in the future.
Year-Round Watering Rules
Year-Round watering rules are in effect when the Edwards Aquifer level is above 660 feet mean sea level at the monitored well. Watering with an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose is allowed any day from midnight – 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. – midnight any day.
Stage 1 Drought Restrictions
Stage 1 begins when the 10-day rolling average of the aquifer level drops to 660 feet mean sea level at the monitored well. Watering with an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose is allowed only once a week midnight – 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. – midnight on your designated watering day. Drip irrigation systems may run up to three times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during watering hours.
Stage 2 Drought Restrictions
Stage 2 begins when the 10-day rolling average of the aquifer level drops to 650 feet mean sea level at the monitored well. Watering with an irrigation system or sprinkler is allowed only once a week from 5 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. – midnight on your designated watering day. Drip irrigation systems may run up to two times per week on Monday and Friday during watering hours.
Stage 3 Drought Restrictions
Stage 3 begins when the 10-day rolling average of the aquifer level drops to 640 feet mean sea level at the monitored well. Landscape watering is allowed only once a week, from 5 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. – midnight on your designated watering day. Drip irrigation systems may run up to two times per week on Monday and Friday during watering hours.
Stage 4 Drought Restrictions
Stage 4 restrictions may be declared at the discretion of the City Manager in consultation with the SAWS President/CEO. Landscape watering is allowed only ONCE EVERY OTHER week, from 5 a.m. – 10 a.m. or 9 p.m. – midnight on your designated watering day. Drip irrigation systems may run once per week on Friday during watering hours.
Watering Day
During drought restrictions, watering is allowed on your designated watering day as determined by the last number of your street address.
Areas without a street address, such as medians and neighborhood entryways, water on Wednesday.
Non-Compliance Charge
To make drought rule enforcement more fair, SAWS will no longer issue municipal court citations. Instead, a water waste non-compliance charge will appear on the customer’s bill. This means the rules will apply to all SAWS customers, not just those inside San Antonio city limits.
The first charge for a single family or small commercial site will be $137. This fee can be waived by taking a one-hour course online. Subsequent charges are higher to discourage repeat violations. Charges will also be higher for high use commercial irrigation customers.
As before, violations will need to be witnessed and documented in-person by SAWS-trained staff. On request, the customer can review the evidence and, if desired, appeal the enforcement decision to a Board-appointed committee of non-SAWS employees.
Drought Surcharge in Stage 3 & Stage 4
In deeper stages of drought, a new surcharge will encourage both residential and commercial customers with very high outdoor use to conserve. Unlike previous Stage 3 twice-a-month watering restriction, the surcharge will only affect the top 5% of water users.
For single family accounts, the Stage 3 surcharge of $10.37 per thousand gallons will take effect for water use above 20,000 gallon a month. In Stage 4, that threshold drops to 12,000 gallons. Twice-a-month watering may still be initiated if needed in Stage 4.
Commercial irrigation surcharge rates will vary based on water use and meter size.
Conservation Ordinance and Drought Rules
The conservation ordinance and utility service regulations help align conservation goals with population growth and long-term water supply strategies.