Arlington TX Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in Arlington, Texas

Arlington enforces Stage 1 year-round water restrictions under its drought contingency ordinance — a permanent twice-weekly schedule that applies regardless of regional drought stage. Stage 1 in Arlington is not a temporary drought response; it is the city's baseline, in effect every day of every year. Higher stages (2 through 5) layer additional restrictions on top of Stage 1 when the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) escalates the regional response.

Arlington's enforcement is administered by the City of Arlington Water Utilities, with violations prosecuted as Class C misdemeanors. Fines can reach $2,000 per violation — among the steepest in the DFW metroplex. Beyond fines, the ordinance authorizes the Water Utilities Director to disconnect water service after three or more convictions, a power rarely invoked but explicitly available for chronic violators.

The city has a population of approximately 400,000, making it the 49th largest in the United States, and is home to AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), Six Flags Over Texas, and Hurricane Harbor. Arlington is also notable as the largest US city without public transit — every household is car-dependent, which means car-washing rules have outsized community impact and the at-home washing prohibition during peak hours tends to draw more violation reports than in transit-served cities.

Arlington Water Utilities offers free sprinkler test kits in February each year and partners with the regional WaterIsAwesome.com program for weekly evapotranspiration-based watering recommendations. Most homeowners can comply with Stage 1 by following the weekly recommendation rather than always running both assigned days.

The restrictions apply to every customer of Arlington water service. Properties with permitted private wells used solely for irrigation are exempt; private wells are uncommon in Arlington's residential subdivisions. Variances for new sod or seed are available through the city.

Watering schedule and allowed days

Arlington's Stage 1 schedule limits sprinkler-based irrigation to two days per week, by address — and adds a separate non-residential schedule for apartments, businesses, parks, and HOA common areas.

The 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daytime blackout applies to all sprinkler-based irrigation, including HOA common areas, athletic fields, and commercial landscapes — there are no exceptions for "professional" landscape contractors or sports venues.

• Hand watering with a hose or soaker hose: permitted any day, but still subject to the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout.
• Drip irrigation (subsurface or above-ground emitters): exempt from the day-of-week limit and the daytime blackout.
• Foundation watering with a hand-held hose: permitted any day to prevent soil shrinkage damage.
• New sod or seed within 30 days of installation: variance available through Arlington Water Utilities.
• Trees during prolonged dry spells: a slow-drip watering bag at the base of the tree is permitted under the hand-watering rule and is encouraged for stressed mature trees.

Watering during measurable rainfall, with broken or misaligned heads, or in a way that causes excessive runoff to the gutter is prohibited at all times. Smart controllers with rain sensors are required for new irrigation installations under state law (Texas SB 514).

What happens if you violate restrictions in Arlington?

Arlington's drought ordinance is one of the most strictly enforced in the DFW metroplex. Violations are Class C misdemeanors prosecutable in municipal court.

• First violation: a written warning. Logged in the city's enforcement database.
• Second and subsequent violations: citations issued to municipal court, with fines up to $2,000 per offense.
• Three or more convictions: the Water Utilities Director can discontinue water service. Reconnection requires payment of all fines, reconnect fees, and a corrective-action plan.
• Each day of continued violation can be charged as a separate offense, so repeated infractions stack quickly.

Detection methods include field patrols by Water Utilities staff, complaint-driven follow-up, and consumption-data reviews flagging unusual irrigation runtime. To report a violation, call 817-459-5900 or use the city's online reporting tool. You do not need to identify yourself.

If you receive a citation you believe is in error — controller failure, recent repair, medical exemption — file a written appeal with Arlington Water Utilities within 14 days. Document the circumstance with controller logs, repair invoices, or other evidence.

Other outdoor water rules

Stage 1 is more than a watering schedule. The ordinance also prohibits or restricts:

• Vehicle washing at home: permitted, but only with a hand-held hose and shut-off nozzle, and only outside the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout. Driveway hosing for cleaning is prohibited.
• Power washing of driveways, sidewalks, decks, and exteriors: prohibited except for legitimate health-and-safety needs (mold remediation, paint preparation under permit).
• Pool filling and topping off: permitted any day for top-offs to replace evaporative loss; new pool fills require a permit but are not subject to the watering-schedule limit.
• Decorative fountains without aquatic life: must use recirculating systems; non-recirculating fountains are prohibited.
• Construction water (dust suppression, masonry, concrete): contractors should obtain a permit before drawing on city water.
• Watering during rain or freezing temperatures: prohibited.
• Excessive runoff: prohibited at all times — Stage 1 includes provisions specifically targeting irrigation that runs onto streets and gutters.

Sports venues including AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field operate under custom variances negotiated with Water Utilities, balancing field-condition requirements with the city's overall conservation goals.

Water source and infrastructure

Arlington is a customer of the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD), which serves about 2.2 million people across the western and central DFW metroplex. TRWD operates a network of reservoirs and pipelines drawing primarily from the West Fork of the Trinity River, with additional supplies pumped in from East Texas reservoirs hundreds of miles away.

The TRWD reservoir system includes:

• Lake Bridgeport — primary West Fork upstream reservoir
• Eagle Mountain Lake — main DFW-area storage on the West Fork
• Lake Worth — older urban reservoir
• Lake Arlington — within city limits, fed by the West Fork
• Benbrook Lake — Clear Fork tributary, joint federal project

TRWD also operates the Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers reservoirs in East Texas and pumps that water westward to the DFW metroplex through the largest raw-water pipeline system in the United States. Long-term planning includes the controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir proposal, which would create another East Texas source if approved.

Arlington's specific raw-water source within the TRWD system is primarily Lake Arlington within the city limits, supplemented as needed from the regional system. The city operates two surface-water treatment plants — the John Kubala Water Treatment Plant and the Pierce-Burch Water Treatment Plant — to convert raw TRWD water into drinking water for distribution.

Drought stage decisions for TRWD member cities (Arlington, Fort Worth, Mansfield, Trophy Club, and others) are made by the TRWD board and the cities themselves. Arlington's permanent Stage 1 is independent of TRWD-wide stages — TRWD can declare Stage 2 or higher to overlay additional restrictions when reservoir storage drops.

Brown lawn protections in Texas

Arlington has many HOA-governed neighborhoods. State law gives the city's Stage 1 watering schedule precedence over HOA covenants requiring green lawns.

Texas Property Code § 202.007 prohibits HOAs from restricting drought-resistant landscaping, water-conserving turf, or compliance with municipal water conservation measures. The statute also protects rainwater harvesting systems, drip irrigation, and similar conservation upgrades.

Arlington's ordinance further requires that HOA common areas follow the non-residential Tuesday/Friday schedule — common-area irrigation cannot run on the same days as homeowner-managed lawns. This separation is intentional: it spreads peak demand across more days and prevents an HOA from creating an enforcement double-standard.

Sample response to an HOA brown-lawn violation notice during Stage 1:

"Dear [HOA Board], the City of Arlington enforces year-round Stage 1 water restrictions limiting outdoor irrigation to two days per week with a 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daytime blackout. I am in compliance with that schedule. Under Texas Property Code § 202.007, my compliance with the city's water conservation measures takes precedence over any landscape covenant in our governing documents. Please withdraw the violation. Sincerely, [Your name]"

Keep records of correspondence. Texas HOAs that persist in penalizing compliant homeowners face liability under § 202.007.

Lawn care during restrictions

Arlington sits in the warm-season climate band of north Texas. Bermudagrass dominates residential lawns, with St. Augustine in shadier yards and zoysiagrass and buffalograss as drought-tolerant alternatives.

Mow tall. Set bermuda to 2 inches and St. Augustine to 4 inches. Taller blades shade the soil and protect the crowns from heat stress.

Leave clippings as mulch. Mulched clippings return moisture and nitrogen and reduce the lawn's water demand. Skip the bag during summer.

Skip summer fertilizer. Fertilizer pushes growth, which increases water demand and stresses the lawn during heat.

Aerate in spring or fall. Aeration during active drought creates evaporative pathways and can stress the lawn.

Brown is not dead. Bermuda and zoysia are designed to go dormant under heat and water stress. A properly maintained Arlington lawn that browns in August will green back up after fall rains.

Common questions about Arlington water restrictions

What days can I water my lawn in Arlington?

Two days per week, by address. Even-numbered single-family homes water Wednesday and Saturday. Odd-numbered single-family homes water Thursday and Sunday. Non-residential properties — apartments, businesses, parks, HOA common areas — water Tuesday and Friday. No watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

What time can I water in Arlington?

Outside the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. blackout — practically, before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on your two assigned days. Watering during the daytime blackout is a violation regardless of which day it is.

Can the city really disconnect my water for violations?

Yes. After three or more convictions of the drought ordinance, the Arlington Water Utilities Director can discontinue water service. Reconnection requires payment of all outstanding fines, reconnect fees, and a corrective-action plan. The power is rarely invoked but is explicitly available for chronic violators.

What are the fines for watering violations?

First offense: a written warning. Subsequent offenses are Class C misdemeanors with fines up to $2,000 per violation. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense.

My HOA says my lawn is too brown. Can they fine me?

No. Texas Property Code § 202.007 prohibits HOAs from penalizing compliance with municipal water conservation measures. Arlington's ordinance further requires HOA common areas to follow the non-residential Tuesday/Friday schedule, so HOAs cannot demand that you water more often than the city allows.

Where does Arlington's water come from?

Arlington is a customer of the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD). The city's primary local source is Lake Arlington within the city limits, supplemented from the regional TRWD system including Lakes Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain, Worth, and Benbrook, plus East Texas reservoirs (Cedar Creek, Richland-Chambers) pumped westward.

Are sports venues exempt from the schedule?

No, but AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, and other large institutional venues operate under custom variances negotiated with Arlington Water Utilities, balancing field-condition needs with the city's overall conservation goals. They are not exempt from the daytime blackout.

How do I report a water waste violation in Arlington?

Call Arlington Water Utilities at 817-459-5900 or use the online reporting tool at arlingtontx.gov/water. You do not need to identify yourself for the report to be investigated.

When will water restrictions end in Arlington?

Current Stage 1 Year-Round Water Restrictions restrictions are in effect through Year-round — permanent schedule. Monitor https://www.arlingtontx.gov/water for the latest status.

Can I hand water during Arlington water restrictions?

Yes. Hand watering with a hose fitted with a shut-off nozzle is generally allowed on any day during permitted hours. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are also typically exempt from the day-of-week schedule. Confirm specifics with City of Arlington Water Utilities.