Fort Worth TX Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is currently under Moderate Restrictions, limiting outdoor irrigation to 2 days per week on assigned watering days under a mandatory schedule enforced by Fort Worth Water.

Fort Worth Water declared these moderate restrictions as a seasonal measure to manage demand on the city's water supply system during peak outdoor watering months. The two-day-per-week limit applies to all residential and commercial irrigation customers citywide, and compliance is mandatory — not voluntary. Fort Worth Water administers these rules under the city's Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan.

Texas as a whole is experiencing significant drought pressure. San Antonio's Edwards Aquifer is critically low, triggering that city's first-ever Stage 3 restrictions in SAWS history, while Austin operates under year-round Conservation Stage rules and Pflugerville has declared a Stage 3 Emergency. Fort Worth's Moderate phase is less severe, but the broader regional strain makes compliance particularly important this season.

Practically speaking: a resident who wants to run their sprinkler system on a Wednesday morning needs to confirm that Wednesday is one of their two assigned watering days — and if it is, they must water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Running a sprinkler at 11 a.m. on any day, even an assigned watering day, is a violation. Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle or drip irrigation is exempt from the day restriction and can be done any day.

Fort Worth's watering days and hours

Rule	Details
Days per week	2
Day assignment	2 assigned days per week based on address
Allowed hours	Before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. only
Hand watering	Exempt any day (shut-off nozzle required)
Drip irrigation	Exempt any day
New sod/seed	Usually 30-day establishment window — register with Fort Worth Water

Under Fort Worth Water's moderate restriction schedule, properties are assigned two specific watering days per week based on the last digit of the street address or account number. Odd-numbered addresses typically water on different days than even-numbered addresses, spreading city-wide demand across the week rather than concentrating it on weekends when system pressure drops. Check your Fort Worth Water bill or the utility's website to confirm your exact assigned days.

Multi-family properties and commercial accounts operate under the same two-day framework, though large commercial irrigation systems or HOA common-area accounts may have separate meter-level assignments. Commercial customers should verify their specific assigned days directly with Fort Worth Water, as large-turf accounts managing medians or sports fields may have separate scheduling agreements under the drought contingency plan.

For trees, the hours restriction matters most during the July–September heat peak. Native and adapted species commonly planted in Fort Worth — live oak (Quercus virginiana), cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), and Texas red oak (Quercus buckleyi) — are all deep-rooted and benefit more from slow, deep watering delivered via drip or soaker hose than from overhead spray. Because drip irrigation is exempt from day restrictions, tree watering can continue on any day regardless of the two-day schedule.

Violation fines and enforcement

Offense	Penalty
First violation	Written warning — no fine
Second violation	Monetary fine issued
Repeat/subsequent	Escalating fines per additional violation

Fort Worth Water uses a warning-first approach for first-time violations: an inspector or code officer will document the infraction and issue a written notice, giving the customer an opportunity to correct behavior before any financial penalty is assessed. Second and subsequent violations result in fines that increase with each offense. Customers who believe a violation notice was issued in error may contact Fort Worth Water directly to request a review — disputes about meter readings or scheduling errors can typically be resolved by providing documentation of your assigned watering days.

Enforcement in Fort Worth relies on a combination of field patrols by Fort Worth Water conservation staff, smart meter data that can flag high-volume outdoor usage during prohibited hours, and neighbor complaints submitted through the city's 311 system. Reports made through Fort Worth 311 are routed to Fort Worth Water's conservation team and typically generate an inspector visit within a few business days. Smart meter infrastructure allows the utility to identify accounts with consistent usage patterns during the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout window, flagging them for follow-up without requiring a physical complaint.

Other outdoor water rules

Beyond lawn irrigation, Fort Worth Water's Moderate Restriction phase places additional limits on outdoor water use. The following rules apply during the current restriction period:

• Vehicle washing: Washing cars, trucks, boats, and trailers at a residence is permitted only on your two assigned watering days, using a hose with a positive shut-off nozzle. Commercial car washes that recycle water are exempt.
• Pool and spa filling: Filling or topping off pools and spas is permitted but should be done during off-peak hours (before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.) to reduce system demand. Fort Worth's heat and evaporation rates make pool top-offs a significant demand driver in summer.
• Fountains and water features: Decorative fountains and water features must use recirculating pumps. Single-pass systems that discharge water to drain are prohibited during moderate restrictions.
• Pressure washing: Pressure washing of structures, driveways, and sidewalks is limited to health and safety situations; routine aesthetic cleaning is discouraged during active restrictions.
• Construction water use: Contractors using potable water for dust suppression or construction purposes must comply with any applicable permit conditions and are encouraged to use recycled or reclaimed water where available.
• Restaurant table water: Under Stage 1 and Moderate restrictions, restaurants are asked to serve drinking water only upon request — a small but citywide demand reduction measure.

How Fort Worth gets its water

Fort Worth's water supply comes primarily from a portfolio of surface water reservoirs managed through the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD), one of the largest wholesale water suppliers in Texas. TRWD supplies raw water to Fort Worth Water, which treats and distributes it to customers throughout the city.

The two primary reservoirs in the TRWD system are Lake Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain Lake, both located northwest of Fort Worth on tributaries of the West Fork of the Trinity River. These reservoirs are supplemented by Cedar Creek Reservoir and Richland-Chambers Reservoir, located southeast of Fort Worth in Henderson and Navarro counties respectively. Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers together represent some of the largest reservoir storage capacity in Texas, providing a critical buffer during drought years.

Raw water from these reservoirs is conveyed to Fort Worth via TRWD's pipeline and canal system and treated at Fort Worth Water's Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility handles wastewater reclamation, while drinking water treatment occurs at facilities that process Trinity watershed inflows. The system also incorporates water from the Trinity River during high-flow periods through run-of-river intake structures.

Unlike cities in South-Central Texas such as San Antonio — which depend heavily on the Edwards Aquifer and its critically stressed J-17 index well — Fort Worth's surface reservoir system offers more storage flexibility. However, the Trinity watershed is susceptible to multi-year drought cycles, and extended periods of below-normal rainfall across North Texas reduce inflows to all four reservoirs simultaneously. TRWD actively monitors reservoir levels and coordinates with Fort Worth Water to trigger the city's drought contingency phases when storage percentages decline.

HOA and brown lawn protections

Texas homeowners are protected under Texas Property Code § 202.007, which prohibits HOAs from fining or penalizing a property owner for failing to water landscaping or maintain green grass during a period when a governmental entity has declared a water shortage emergency or when outdoor irrigation is restricted by a water authority. Fort Worth Water's current Moderate Restrictions qualify as a restriction period under this statute.

This means that if your lawn browns or dormant grass turns yellow during the two-day-per-week restriction period, your HOA cannot issue violations, fines, or citations for that condition. The protection applies as long as the restriction is in effect and the property owner is not causing additional violations beyond the restricted watering schedule. HOAs may still enforce rules unrelated to watering — such as overgrown weeds or structural landscaping issues — but dead or dormant turf caused by mandatory watering limits is explicitly shielded.

If your HOA sends a violation notice for lawn appearance during the current Fort Worth Water Moderate Restriction period, you may respond in writing using language similar to the following:

"This notice is to inform the association that my property is subject to the mandatory Moderate Restrictions currently in effect under Fort Worth Water's Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan. Any browning or dormancy of lawn turf is a direct result of compliance with those mandatory restrictions. Pursuant to Texas Property Code § 202.007, the association is prohibited from imposing a fine or assessment for failure to water during an applicable government-declared restriction period. I request that this violation notice be withdrawn immediately."

Keeping your lawn alive on restricted water

Fort Worth sits in the transition zone between warm-season and cool-season grass climates, but summer conditions — routinely above 100°F from June through August — strongly favor warm-season turfgrass species. The following grasses are the ones actually found in Fort Worth lawns:

Grass Type	Drought Tolerance	Dormancy Risk Under 2-Day Limit	Recovery Speed
Bermudagrass	High	Low — goes dormant but recovers quickly	Fast once water resumes
Zoysiagrass	Medium-High	Medium — slow to show stress, slow to recover	Moderate
Tall Fescue	Medium	High — struggles badly in Fort Worth summers	Slow; may require reseeding
Buffalograss	Very High	Very Low — native to Texas, thrives on minimal water	Fast

Fort Worth's summer heat and clay-heavy soils create a specific challenge: water applied too fast to hard-baked clay runs off before it penetrates, making the two allowed watering days less effective if run times are too short or heads are poorly adjusted. On your assigned days, run each irrigation zone for a shorter cycle, pause 30–45 minutes to allow absorption, then run a second shorter cycle — a technique called cycle and soak that Fort Worth Water actively recommends. This approach gets more water into the root zone per day used rather than wasting it to runoff.

Bermudagrass, the dominant turf in most Fort Worth residential lawns, goes dormant and turns brown in drought conditions but does not die — it will green back up rapidly once normal watering resumes. Resist the urge to over-water Bermuda on allowed days; it needs far less water than homeowners typically apply. Tall Fescue lawns are the most vulnerable in Fort Worth summers and may require overseeding in the fall if they thin significantly during restriction season. Buffalograss, a native Texas prairie grass, can survive the entire restriction period with little to no supplemental irrigation once established.

Fort Worth water restriction FAQ

What days can I water at my Fort Worth address under the current restrictions?

Fort Worth Water assigns two specific watering days per week based on your address. As a general rule, the last digit of your street address number determines your schedule — odd-numbered addresses and even-numbered addresses are split across different day combinations. To confirm your exact assigned days, check your Fort Worth Water account at fortworthtexas.gov/water or review your utility bill, which should reflect your current schedule under the Moderate Restriction phase.

Can I water before 10 a.m. on my assigned days?

Yes — and you should. The prohibited window is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on any day. Watering before 10 a.m. on an assigned day is fully compliant and is actually the most efficient time: lower temperatures and reduced wind mean less evaporation loss, so more water reaches the root zone. Watering after 6 p.m. is also permitted on assigned days, though Fort Worth's summer evenings retain enough heat to increase fungal risk in dense turf areas.

Does Fort Worth Water use smart meters to detect watering violations?

Yes. Fort Worth Water has deployed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meters across a significant portion of the service area. These meters report usage data at short intervals, which allows Fort Worth Water's conservation team to flag accounts showing high outdoor usage during the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. prohibited window. This means a sprinkler running mid-afternoon can generate an enforcement follow-up without a neighbor complaint ever being filed.

Can I wash my car at home during the current Fort Worth restrictions?

Residential vehicle washing is permitted only on your two assigned watering days and only with a hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle that stops water flow when you release it. Washing a car on a non-assigned day — even with a shut-off nozzle — is a violation under the current Moderate Restriction rules. Commercial car washes that use water recirculation systems are exempt from the day restriction.

What rebates or programs does Fort Worth Water offer for water-saving upgrades?

Fort Worth Water offers several conservation rebate programs through its WaterWise initiative. Rebates are available for WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers (smart controllers), high-efficiency toilets, and residential soil moisture sensors, which allow irrigation systems to skip scheduled cycles when soil is already adequately moist. Fort Worth also periodically offers turf conversion incentives for replacing water-intensive grass with drought-tolerant native plants. Check the Fort Worth Water WaterWise page for current rebate amounts and eligibility requirements, as offerings change seasonally.

Is my vegetable garden subject to the two-day watering restriction?

Overhead spray or sprinkler irrigation of vegetable gardens follows the same two-day, time-of-day rules as lawn irrigation. However, if you water your vegetable garden with a hand-held hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle or with a drip irrigation system, it is exempt from the day restriction and can be watered any day of the week. Switching a kitchen garden to drip irrigation is one of the most practical steps Fort Worth gardeners can take to protect edible plants during restriction periods.

My neighbor's sprinklers run every morning — how do I report it?

Violations can be reported through Fort Worth 311, either via the 311 phone line, the Fort Worth 311 mobile app, or online at the city's 311 portal. When filing a report, include the address, the date and approximate time the violation occurred, and whether it was a prohibited-day or prohibited-hour infraction. Fort Worth Water conservation staff typically respond to reports within a few business days. Anonymous reports are accepted.

What happens to my restrictions if Lake Bridgeport or Richland-Chambers drops significantly?

Fort Worth's drought contingency plan includes multiple escalating restriction stages tied to supply conditions in the TRWD reservoir system. If Lake Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain Lake, or the combined Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers system drops to specified trigger levels, Fort Worth Water can advance from Moderate Restrictions to more severe stages — reducing allowed watering days further, expanding prohibited uses, or in extreme cases suspending outdoor irrigation entirely. Customers are notified of stage changes through bill inserts, the Fort Worth Water website, and local media. Given that statewide drought conditions are currently elevated, monitoring reservoir levels on the TRWD website throughout the summer is advisable.

What time can I water in Fort Worth?

Watering is allowed Not 10am-6pm. Watering outside these hours is a violation even on your assigned day.

What are the fines for watering violations in Fort Worth?

First offense: Warning first. Repeat violations: Fines. Contact Fort Worth Water for the full enforcement schedule.

When will water restrictions end in Fort Worth?

Current Moderate Restrictions restrictions are in effect through Seasonal. Monitor https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/water for the latest status.

Can I hand water during Fort Worth 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 Fort Worth Water.