Dallas Water Restrictions 2025

Water keeps Dallas thriving, but hot summers and long dry spells can strain our supply. The 2025 water restrictions help protect our reservoirs while still giving homeowners and businesses a clear, fair way to irrigate. This guide explains the rules in plain language, why they matter, and how to keep your lawn, trees, and beds healthy while staying compliant. You’ll get a simple watering schedule, practical landscape tips, and smart upgrades that save water and money.

Key takeaways:

Dallas allows a maximum of twice-weekly outdoor watering, year-round.
From April 1–October 31, you can’t water between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Healthy landscapes are possible with deep, infrequent watering, mulch, soil care, and smart irrigation tweaks.
Official resources like Save Dallas Water offer schedules, rebates, and free irrigation checkups.

The Rules at a Glance

Dallas’ water conservation ordinance sets clear limits designed to reduce waste and keep landscapes resilient.

Maximum twice-weekly watering

- Even-numbered addresses (0, 2, 4, 6, 8): Sundays and Thursdays
- Odd-numbered addresses (1, 3, 5, 7, 9): Saturdays and Wednesdays
- No address number: Sundays and Thursdays

Time-of-day restriction (April 1–October 31)

- No watering with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- This rule targets the hottest, windiest hours when evaporation loss is highest.

Exceptions and variances

- New sod or major landscape changes may qualify for temporary variances.
- Hand-watering with a shutoff nozzle and drip irrigation are typically more flexible because they’re efficient and targeted.
- Always check official guidance before assuming an exception applies.

These rules are simple to follow and effective. They cut peak demand, reduce waste, and stabilize pressure in the system during high-use periods.

Why Conservation Matters in Dallas

Dallas relies on a network of regional lakes that rise and fall with rain, heat, and demand. Long stretches of high temperatures drive up outdoor watering, which can account for a large share of residential water use in summer. By sticking to a twice-weekly schedule and avoiding midday watering, we:

Reduce evaporation, so more water reaches roots
Lower strain on pumps and mains, improving system reliability
Keep reservoirs healthier for drought resilience and future growth
Save money on monthly bills by cutting unnecessary irrigation

The good news: turf and most landscape plants grow stronger with less frequent, deeper watering. That means conservation and plant health can go hand in hand.

How to Water: Practical Tips for Healthy Landscapes

You don’t need daily watering to keep a good-looking yard. The goal is to train roots to grow deep and tough. Here’s how.

Match your schedule to plant needs

Lawns (Bermudagrass, Zoysia): Water deeply and infrequently. Aim for about 1 inch per week during peak summer, including rainfall. Split across your two allowed days. If your soil is clay (common in Dallas), use cycle-and-soak: two or three short cycles in one morning to prevent runoff.
Trees and shrubs: Target the dripline (the area under the outer canopy) with drip or soaker hoses. Deep watering every 10–14 days in summer is often enough for established plants.
Beds and groundcovers: Drip irrigation is best. It delivers water right to the soil and reduces weeds and disease.

Choose the right time of day

Water early morning (before 10 a.m.) for best absorption and minimal wind.
Avoid evening watering when possible; overnight leaf wetness can promote disease in turf and ornamentals.

Use the cycle-and-soak method

If run times longer than 8–10 minutes cause runoff, break watering into two or three cycles per zone:

Example: Instead of one 20-minute run, set 8 minutes, wait 30–60 minutes, then another 8 minutes. This lets water absorb into dense clay and reach deeper roots.

Calibrate your system

Tuna can test: Place several shallow, straight-sided containers around a zone. Run the zone for 15 minutes and measure the depth. This tells you inches per hour, so you can set run times to deliver what you need without guessing.
Audit coverage: Look for dry spots, overspray onto pavement, and clogged or tilted heads.

Maintain your irrigation system

Fix leaks: A pinhole leak or broken lateral can waste hundreds of gallons per cycle.
Replace misting spray heads with high-efficiency rotary nozzles: They use 20–30% less water and improve uniformity.
Install a rain and freeze sensor: It shuts off the system when it rains or temperatures drop, preventing waste and fines.
Check pressure: Excess pressure creates fine mist that blows away. Use pressure-regulating heads or a regulator at the valve.

Smart Upgrades That Pay Off

A few smart devices can make compliance easy and save water every month.

Smart controller: Weather-based controllers adjust run times with real-time data. They cut watering on cool or rainy weeks and bump it slightly during heat waves—while staying within your allowed days and times.
Drip conversion for beds: Drip lines or point-source emitters deliver water directly to plant roots at slow rates, reducing evaporation and runoff.
High-efficiency nozzles: Uniform application reduces the need for longer run times and helps avoid brown spots caused by poor distribution.
Soil moisture sensors: These stop irrigation when your soil has enough water. That prevents watering after a good rain or when the root zone is still moist.

Tip: Look for local rebates or free irrigation evaluations through city programs to offset costs and optimize your setup.

Soil, Mulch, and Plant Choices: The Low-Water Playbook

Healthy soil and the right plants cut your irrigation needs more than any nozzle change.

Build better soil

Topdress with compost: A quarter-inch layer in spring or fall boosts organic matter, improves infiltration, and strengthens roots.
Aerate compacted turf: Core aeration helps water penetrate heavy clay and reduces runoff.
Avoid overfertilizing: Excess nitrogen forces lush growth that needs more water and invites pests. Follow soil test recommendations.

Mulch like you mean it

Keep 2–4 inches of organic mulch around trees, shrubs, and beds.
Mulch cools the soil, slows evaporation, and suppresses weeds.
Maintain a mulch-free donut around tree trunks to prevent rot.

Plant for our climate

Favor drought-tough natives and well-adapted species. Many look great and drink far less.
Group plants by water needs (hydrozoning) so you don’t overwater tough plants to keep thirstier ones alive.
Convert small, hard-to-irrigate turf areas (narrow strips, shady corners) to beds or groundcovers.

Common Mistakes That Waste Water (and How to Avoid Them)

Watering during restricted hours: Program controllers so all cycles end before 10 a.m.; use the controller’s seasonal adjust feature to fine-tune run times.
Overwatering new sod: Yes, it needs frequent moisture early on, but work with a variance if required and taper to deeper, less frequent cycles as roots take.
Ignoring leaks: If your bill spikes or you see water pooling, you may have a hidden break. Check meter movement with all water off to confirm.
Overspray onto sidewalks and streets: Angle and adjust heads; switch to matched precipitation nozzles to improve control.
One-size-fits-all run times: Sunny slopes need different times than shaded flat beds. Tailor by zone.

Sample Twice-Weekly Schedule You Can Copy

Here’s an example for an even-numbered address (Sundays and Thursdays). Adjust minutes based on your system’s output and soil.

Before dawn start: 5:00 a.m.
Zone 1 (front lawn, rotors): 8 minutes, then repeat at 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. (cycle-and-soak total 24 minutes)
Zone 2 (back lawn, rotors): same as Zone 1
Zone 3 (foundation drip): 45–60 minutes continuous

By making smart choices and following Dallas’ water guidelines, you’ll not only keep your landscape healthy—you’ll also help protect the region’s most precious resource. Every drop we conserve today supports our city’s resilience tomorrow. Let’s all do our part to ensure Dallas remains a vibrant, sustainable community for generations to come.