Garland water restrictions cap in-ground sprinklers and hose-end sprinklers at two days a week from April 1 through October 31 and one day a week from November 1 through March 31, ban sprinkler use between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the warm months, and prohibit runoff, broken heads, and watering during rain or freeze year-round.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities You pick your own watering days within the weekly limit; the city does not assign them by address.
These rules are the baseline Water Conservation Plan, codified as Chapter 51, Article VIII of the Garland Code of Ordinances.2eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Article VIII Water Conservation Plan Stricter drought stages layer on top when regional supply tightens.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities
The Weekly Watering Schedule
April through October, you get two days a week for sprinklers or an in-ground irrigation system. November through March, one day. Within the April-through-October window, running sprinklers between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is prohibited, so the practical watering hours are early morning or evening.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities
What You Can Do Any Day, Any Time
Hand-held hoses with an automatic shutoff nozzle, soaker hoses, and drip irrigation are exempt from both the twice-a-week cap and the midday blackout. Use them any day, any hour, as long as you don’t create runoff.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities Vegetable gardens, flower beds, and foundation watering handled by soaker hose or by hand fall outside the weekly schedule entirely.
Foundation watering gets an explicit carveout in the ordinance. North Texas clay soils expand and contract with moisture, and the code lets you keep soil moisture stable around your foundation with a hand-held hose or soaker hose on any day.2eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Article VIII Water Conservation Plan Keep the water on your property.
Any spring-loaded trigger nozzle from a hardware store satisfies the shutoff requirement. Water shouldn’t be flowing when you’re not actively using the hose.
What Counts as Water Waste
Several actions are prohibited outright, and each is a separate offense:
- Runoff onto streets, gutters, driveways, or sidewalks, including overspray that lands on concrete.2eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Article VIII Water Conservation Plan
- Watering during any form of precipitation or freezing conditions. Newly installed irrigation systems must include rain and freeze sensors.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities
- Broken or missing sprinkler heads. Systems must be maintained and all heads functional.2eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Article VIII Water Conservation Plan
- Overseeding, sodding, or plugging residential or commercial lawns with cool-season grasses. Golf courses and athletic fields are the only exceptions.2eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Article VIII Water Conservation Plan
Variances for New Sod or Landscaping
Newly installed sod or landscaping that needs more than the twice-a-week sprinkler allowance requires a variance from the Water Utilities Department. Email the department with your name, address, and the dates you need. No fee is listed for the request.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities
The variance only matters if you’re using sprinklers or an irrigation system. Watering new sod by hand, with a soaker hose, or with drip irrigation is already allowed any day, provided runoff stays under control.
Drought Stages
When the North Texas Municipal Water District declares worsening conditions, Garland escalates through drought stages tied to Lavon Lake levels, system demand relative to delivery capacity, and supply problems.3Texas PUC. Model Drought Contingency Plan for North Texas Municipal Water District
- Stage 1 (Mild): Mandatory restrictions begin. Hosing down driveways, buildings, and sidewalks is prohibited. Water in gutters or streets becomes an enforceable violation. Controllable leaks must be repaired after notice.
- Stage 2 (Moderate): The twice-a-week sprinkler cap and the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ban become mandatory. Because Garland already enforces both year-round, the practical change is small.
- Stage 3 (Severe): Sprinklers and in-ground irrigation are banned. Hand watering, soaker hoses, and drip irrigation are allowed two days a week between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. only. New landscaping installation is on hold.
- Stage 4 (Emergency): All outdoor water use is prohibited except that foundations and trees may be watered for up to two hours on any day using a hand-held hose, soaker hose, or subsurface system.4eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Drought Contingency Plan
Garland is currently operating under the standard Water Conservation Plan rather than an emergency stage, but that can change. The current status is posted on the city’s Water Utilities page.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities An existing variance is subject to reconsideration if the city moves to a higher stage.
Pool owners do not need a variance to fill or refill a pool under the current plan; the water is billed at your normal rate. That may change at higher drought stages.1City of Garland, TX. Water Utilities
Fines and How Offenses Stack
Each prohibited activity is a separate offense, and each day a violation continues counts as an additional offense.2eCode360. City of Garland Code of Ordinances – Article VIII Water Conservation Plan A broken sprinkler head left unrepaired for a week can generate seven counts, not one. Citations can go to the property owner or the person responsible for managing the property.
Texas municipalities can impose fines of up to $2,000 per violation for water waste offenses, handled through municipal court. Repeat violations during a drought stage tend to draw stiffer fines than a first-time infraction under the baseline plan. The exposure adds up quickly when every day counts separately, which is where the cost of postponing a sprinkler repair gets underestimated.