The Wichita Falls watering schedule bans spray irrigation every day between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. year-round. Outside that window, you can water any day of the week under normal conditions. Day-of-week restrictions only apply when the director of public works declares a drought stage based on combined lake levels. As of early 2025, Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo were at roughly 84% and 92% capacity, so no drought stage is in effect and the time-of-day rule is the only limit.
The Year-Round Time Window
Section 106-186 of the city code prohibits spray-type irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. every day of the year. That covers automatic in-ground sprinklers, hose-end sprinklers, and any unattended spray device hooked to the city supply. Some sources online list 6:00 p.m. as the cutoff, but the ordinance and the city’s watering restrictions page both set it at 7:00 p.m.1City of Wichita Falls, TX. City of Wichita Falls Code of Ordinances – Chapter 106 Utilities – Division 6 Water Conservation/Drought Contingency
You have two legal windows for sprinklers: before 10:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m. Early morning is better for your lawn. Watering roughly between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. lets moisture reach the soil before heat evaporates it, and the blades dry quickly after sunrise. Evening watering keeps foliage damp overnight, which encourages fungal diseases like brown patch, dollar spot, and red thread. If your controller is set for 8:00 p.m., the lawn stays wet for about twelve hours before it can dry.
What Counts as a Sprinkler
The time window applies to spray devices. Several methods are exempt and can be used at any hour on any day, even during drought stages:
- A handheld hose fitted with a shut-off nozzle that stops flow when released.
- Soaker hoses and drip irrigation, as long as runoff doesn’t extend more than five feet from the watered area.
- Buckets and watering cans. Buckets are capped at five gallons during drought stages.
The nozzle rule matters more than people realize. A garden hose left running without a nozzle counts as an unattended spray device and falls under the 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ban. Snap a squeeze-handle nozzle onto the same hose and you can water a flower bed at noon.2Wichita Falls, TX – Official Website. Watering Restrictions
A few other year-round rules travel with the schedule. Running an irrigation system with a broken, missing, or misaligned head is a violation on its own, especially if the spray hits a street, sidewalk, or parking lot. Runoff from spray irrigation cannot flow more than 100 feet from the area being watered. Known leaks in pipes or valves must be repaired. Washing a vehicle at home requires a positive shut-off nozzle on the hose.
Drought Stage Schedule by Address
Day-of-week watering limits only take effect when the city declares a drought stage. The trigger is the combined storage capacity of Lakes Arrowhead and Kickapoo. Under normal conditions, you can water any day as long as you stay outside the time window.
Stage 1: Drought Watch at 65% Combined Capacity
Sprinklers drop to two days per week based on your street address:
- Even-numbered addresses: Mondays and Thursdays.
- Odd-numbered addresses: Tuesdays and Fridays.
Handheld hoses with shut-off nozzles, soaker hoses, drip systems, and watering cans remain unrestricted. The city’s goal at this stage is a 5% reduction in overall use.1City of Wichita Falls, TX. City of Wichita Falls Code of Ordinances – Chapter 106 Utilities – Division 6 Water Conservation/Drought Contingency
Stage 2: Drought Warning at 50% Combined Capacity
Sprinklers drop to one day per week based on the last digit of your address:
- Addresses ending in 0 or 1: Monday.
- 2 or 3: Tuesday.
- 4 or 5: Wednesday.
- 6 or 7: Thursday.
- 8 or 9: Friday.
Weekend sprinkler use is prohibited for everyone. The reduction target rises to 15%. Surcharges begin on residential bills once usage passes 10 CCF, and irrigation-only meters face surcharges from the first CCF.
Stage 3: Drought Emergency at 40% Combined Capacity
The one-day-per-week schedule from Stage 2 stays in place, but the time windows shrink considerably. Automatic sprinklers can only run between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Hose-end sprinklers are limited to 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The reduction target rises to 35%. Residential surcharges climb to as much as $4.00 per CCF above 40 CCF, and irrigation meters pay up to $8.00 per CCF.
Stage 4: Drought Disaster at 30% Combined Capacity
All Stage 3 restrictions continue and further prohibitions apply. The city came close during the 2010–2015 drought, when total supply fell below 19%, the lowest level since the reservoirs were built.3City of Wichita Falls. Lake Ringgold
Fines for Watering Violations
Penalties are graduated. A first offense carries a $25 fine. A second offense can reach $500. Each additional offense can reach $2,000. Every day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, so running sprinklers again the day after a citation becomes a second charge. For the first two offenses, the city does not have to prove you broke the rules intentionally; the violation itself is enough.1City of Wichita Falls, TX. City of Wichita Falls Code of Ordinances – Chapter 106 Utilities – Division 6 Water Conservation/Drought Contingency
For repeat offenders, the director of public works can order the water meter locked or removed until all fees and fines are paid. That cuts off service entirely, not just outdoor use.
How Violations Get Reported
Code enforcement officers patrol neighborhoods for sprinklers running during restricted hours, irrigation on an unassigned day during a drought stage, and runoff flowing into the street. Any of those can trigger a citation on their own. Residents can report suspected violations through the city’s Access Wichita Falls portal under the watering violation category, or by calling 720-5000 for urgent problems like a water main break. Section 106-187 goes further and makes it unlawful to negligently waste water in any manner, and requires anyone who sees water being wasted to notify the Department of Public Works.2Wichita Falls, TX – Official Website. Watering Restrictions
Setting Your Controller
Program automatic systems for the early morning window whenever possible. Under normal conditions, a start time somewhere between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. keeps you well clear of the 10:00 a.m. cutoff and gives the lawn hours of daylight to dry. If Stage 3 is ever declared, the mandatory 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. window for automatic systems lines up with the best agronomic practice anyway. Hose-end sprinklers under Stage 3 are pushed into the evening slot, which makes fungal management harder; watering deeply on your assigned day and letting the lawn dry fully between sessions is the best defense when you have no morning option.