San Marcos, TX Water Restrictions: Schedule, Fines & Stages

San Marcos, Texas is currently under Stage 3 water restrictions, which limit lawn sprinklers to one designated weekday every other week and prohibit at-home car washing, pool filling, and the use of decorative fountains.¹ Fines start at $100 for a first offense and climb to as much as $2,000 for a third, with each day of noncompliance counted separately.²

When You Can Water Your Lawn

Your watering day depends on the last digit of your street address. Even-numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) are assigned one weekday; odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) are assigned a different one. Sprinklers are prohibited on weekends in every drought stage.¹

Under the Stage 3 rules in force now, hose-end sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems can only run one day every other week, on your designated weekday. The time windows differ by system:

Hose-end sprinklers: before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
Automatic irrigation systems: 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning.³
Drip irrigation and soaker hoses: one day per week on your designated weekday, before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
Hand watering with a bucket or a hose with a shutoff nozzle: any day, before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.¹

To know which week your address is eligible, check the every-other-week sprinkler schedule on the city’s Water and Energy Conservation page.¹

Two exceptions apply in every stage. Vegetable gardens can be watered any day at any time using a hand-held bucket, hose, soaker hose, or drip irrigation. Commercial nurseries can water inventory plants without restriction.¹

What Else Is Restricted Right Now

Car Washing

At-home vehicle washing is completely prohibited under Stage 3.¹ Commercial car washes remain an option.

Swimming Pools

Filling swimming pools is prohibited starting at Stage 3.⁴ That covers both initial fills and topping off.

Fountains and Decorative Water Features

Using and filling any outdoor fountain, waterfall, or ornamental pond is prohibited in Stage 3.¹ The ordinance defines decorative features broadly as any feature where the water serves an entirely ornamental purpose.²

Foundation Watering

Foundation watering with a drip system, soaker hose, or hand-held hose is allowed one day per week in every stage, including Stage 3.⁴ This is one of the few outdoor uses the city never fully bans, reflecting the structural risk Central Texas clay soils pose to homes during extended drought.

Water Waste Is Always a Violation

No matter which stage is active, the ordinance treats certain things as waste and prohibits them outright: letting water run off your property into a gutter, ditch, or street; running a sprinkler system with broken heads or misaligned spray; and failing to repair a controllable leak.¹ You can be cited for pooled water on the sidewalk or an obviously broken sprinkler head even when irrigation itself is otherwise allowed.

Fines for Violating the Ordinance

Penalties escalate with each repeat offense:²

First offense: $100 to $250
Second offense: $250 to $500
Third offense: $500 to $2,000

Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, so a sprinkler left running across several prohibited days can produce escalating fines in a single week.²

The city can also pursue a civil penalty of up to $1,000 instead of a criminal citation. If you receive a civil notice of violation, you have 10 calendar days to file a written appeal with the director. Miss that window and the penalty becomes final and can be added directly to your utility bill. Appeals are heard at the San Marcos Municipal Court of Record, where a judge can dismiss, uphold, or adjust the penalty.²

Enforcement officers may issue a verbal or written warning first, but repeat offenders and flagrant violations during higher drought stages are more likely to receive a citation without one.

How the Stage Can Change

San Marcos keys its drought stages to two measurements: the water level at the J-17 index well in San Antonio and the flow rate at San Marcos Springs.⁵ Stage 3 is triggered when the J-17 well falls below 640 feet above mean sea level. Stage 4 kicks in at 630 feet, and conditions can move up a stage based on either trigger. Moving back down is harder: both the J-17 level and the spring flow have to climb above the relevant threshold before the city drops to a lower stage. In practical terms, restrictions can tighten quickly and loosen slowly.

Checking the Current Stage and Reporting Violations

The city posts the active drought stage, the full restriction chart, and the every-other-week sprinkler calendar on its Water and Energy Conservation page at sanmarcostx.gov.¹ Digital signs around San Marcos also display the current stage.

To report water waste or a suspected violation, use the city’s SMTX Connect system online or call 512-393-8000. The dedicated line for water and wastewater emergencies is 512-393-8300.⁶

1
City of San Marcos, TX. Water and Energy Conservation
2
City of San Marcos, TX. San Marcos City Code Chapter 86 Article 2 Division 2 Water Conservation
3
City of San Marcos, TX. San Marcos to Return to Stage 3 Drought Restrictions
4
City of San Marcos, TX. Drought Stage Brochure
5
Edwards Aquifer Authority. Critical Period/Drought Management
6
City of San Marcos, TX. SMTX Connect – Report an Issue