Frisco TX Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in Frisco, Texas

Frisco is currently under Moderate Restrictions, limiting outdoor irrigation to 2 days per week on assigned days, with watering prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The restrictions are mandatory, issued by the City of Frisco under its water conservation ordinance, and are seasonal in duration — meaning they remain active through the warmer months rather than expiring on a fixed calendar date.

Frisco's water supply is managed in coordination with the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), which sources treated surface water from lakes in the region. As demand surges during North Texas summers — where consecutive 100°F days are routine — the City of Frisco activates its tiered conservation stages to protect long-term supply. The Moderate Restrictions phase reflects elevated seasonal stress rather than a crisis-level shortage.

Across Texas, drought conditions are serious: San Antonio is under Stage 3 restrictions — the most severe in the history of San Antonio Water System — and the Edwards Aquifer is critically low. Austin has adopted year-round conservation stages. Frisco's situation is comparatively stable but requires active management given the explosive population growth the city has experienced over the past decade.

Practically speaking: a resident cannot water their lawn on a Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. unless Wednesday is one of their two assigned days. Even on an assigned day, irrigation systems cannot run between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. A Wednesday morning watering session that starts at 7 a.m. and finishes before 10 a.m. would be permitted — if Wednesday is that household's designated day. Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle and drip irrigation are generally exempt from the day-and-time restrictions.

When can you water in Frisco?

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. on assigned days
Hand watering	Exempt (shut-off nozzle required)
Drip irrigation	Exempt from day/time restrictions
New sod/seed	30-day establishment window — register with City of Frisco Water Utilities

In Frisco, watering day assignments are typically based on the last digit of your street address or your street address number's odd/even status, as outlined in the city's water conservation ordinance administered through Frisco Water Utilities. Odd-numbered addresses and even-numbered addresses water on different paired days of the week. Confirm your specific assigned days at friscotexas.gov or by contacting the Water Utilities department directly, since the schedule can shift between conservation stages.

Commercial properties and multi-family residential complexes in Frisco follow the same day-and-hour framework as single-family homes. Large commercial irrigation controllers at developments along the US-380 corridor and Preston Road are expected to be programmed to reflect the two-day restriction. Homeowners associations that operate common-area irrigation systems must also comply; HOA common areas do not receive a separate exemption simply because they are maintained by a third-party landscaping contractor.

If you have recently installed new sod or seeded bare ground, contact Frisco Water Utilities to register for a temporary establishment watering variance. This window typically allows more frequent watering for up to 30 days. During that period, trees that are newly planted or under stress — including North Texas staples like live oak (Quercus virginiana), cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), and Mexican sycamore (Platanus mexicana) — should be prioritized with deep, slow drip or hand watering. Mature live oaks in particular require slow, deep root-zone watering rather than frequent shallow sprinkler cycles to survive North Texas summers.

Penalty schedule for water violations

Offense	Penalty
First violation	Written warning — no fine
Second violation	Monetary fine issued by City of Frisco
Subsequent violations	Escalating fines; potential flow restrictor installation
Commercial properties	Same structure; higher fines possible under city code

Frisco enforces its water restrictions through a combination of complaint-driven reports and field patrols by City of Frisco code compliance officers. The city has also invested in its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system — a smart meter network that allows Water Utilities staff to monitor consumption patterns and flag unusually high usage events that may indicate irrigation running outside permitted hours or on non-assigned days. If a spike appears on a non-watering day, an officer may follow up in the field.

Residents who believe a fine was issued in error can contest the citation through the City of Frisco's code compliance appeals process. Contact Water Utilities or the Code Compliance division at friscotexas.gov to initiate a review. Response time on complaints submitted through the city's online reporting portal is typically within one to three business days during high-demand summer months. Neighbor reports are one of the most common triggers for enforcement action in residential neighborhoods throughout Frisco.

Other outdoor water rules

Lawn irrigation is not the only outdoor water use regulated under Frisco's Moderate Restrictions. The following activities are subject to specific rules:

• Vehicle washing: Washing cars, trucks, and boats at home is restricted to assigned watering days only; a shut-off nozzle must be used. Commercial car washes that recirculate water are generally permitted to operate normally.
• Swimming pools: Initial pool filling requires a variance from Frisco Water Utilities. Topping off an existing pool to account for evaporation — a significant concern during Frisco's 90-plus-day summers above 90°F — is typically allowed but should be done on assigned watering days using a hand-held hose with shut-off nozzle.
• Fountains and water features: Ornamental fountains and decorative water features must be turned off or switched to a recirculating system under Moderate Restrictions. Non-recirculating fountains that continually draw fresh water are not permitted.
• Pressure washing: Pressure washing of driveways, sidewalks, and structures is limited to what is necessary for health and safety; purely cosmetic pressure washing is discouraged and may be restricted under stricter future stages.
• Construction water: Dust control and concrete curing at active construction sites — common throughout Frisco's ongoing development — require coordination with the city and use of the minimum amount of water necessary.
• Restaurant table water: Under Moderate Restrictions, Frisco restaurants are generally asked to serve drinking water only upon customer request.

Where Frisco's water comes from

Frisco's drinking water is supplied almost entirely through the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), a regional wholesale water authority that serves Frisco along with more than a dozen other Collin and Dallas County cities. NTMWD draws raw water primarily from Lake Lavon, a US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the East Fork of the Trinity River in Collin County, located roughly 20 miles southeast of Frisco's city limits.

Lake Lavon is the largest source in NTMWD's system, with a conservation pool storage capacity of approximately 636,490 acre-feet. NTMWD also draws water from Lake Texoma on the Red River (via the Texoma/Lake Lavon pipeline) and from Lake Chapman near Greenville. Raw water is treated at the Wylie Water Treatment Plant and the Leonard Water Treatment Plant, then delivered through NTMWD's regional transmission system to Frisco's distribution infrastructure.

The treated water Frisco receives meets all Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standards. Frisco Water Utilities then manages local pressure, storage, and distribution within city limits. As Frisco's population has grown from under 100,000 in 2010 to well over 200,000 today, the per-capita and peak-day demand placed on NTMWD's system has grown proportionally.

Unlike cities in the Edwards Plateau or Central Texas, Frisco does not draw from the Edwards Aquifer — the source currently under critical stress in San Antonio. However, NTMWD's surface water sources are vulnerable to prolonged drought cycles, elevated evaporation rates in the Southern Plains, and increased upstream agricultural demand on the Trinity River system. Lake Lavon's storage levels fluctuate seasonally and are monitored continuously; significant drawdowns in reservoir storage can trigger escalation from Moderate to more severe restriction stages.

Can your HOA fine you for a brown lawn?

Texas homeowners are protected from HOA enforcement actions over brown or dormant lawns during mandatory water restrictions under Texas Property Code § 202.007. This statute prohibits a property owners association from fining a homeowner for not irrigating a lawn or landscape if the homeowner is complying with a government-imposed water restriction — including the City of Frisco's current Moderate Restrictions. The protection applies as long as the lawn's condition results from compliance with the mandatory schedule, not neglect of other yard maintenance obligations.

If your Frisco HOA sends you a violation notice for a brown or under-watered lawn while Moderate Restrictions are in effect, you have a clear legal basis to contest it. Document the dates of your two permitted watering days each week and keep records of when restrictions were officially in place. The HOA cannot legally fine you for drought-related dormancy caused by mandatory compliance.

Use the following template to respond to your HOA:

"This notice is to inform [HOA Name] that the condition of my lawn at [your address] is a direct result of compliance with the City of Frisco's mandatory Moderate Restrictions on outdoor irrigation, currently administered by the City of Frisco under its water conservation ordinance. Under Texas Property Code § 202.007, a property owners association may not enforce deed restrictions that require irrigation in excess of what is permitted under a governmental water use restriction. I respectfully request that this violation notice be withdrawn. I am available to provide documentation of the current restriction stage from friscotexas.gov if needed."

How to manage your lawn during drought

Frisco sits squarely in the upper transition zone of Texas, where summer heat regularly exceeds 100°F and winters occasionally dip below freezing. The grasses that survive and thrive here are warm-season turf varieties built for heat and periodic drought stress:

Grass Type	Drought Tolerance	Dormancy Risk at 2x/Week	Recovery Speed
Bermudagrass	Excellent	Low — survives well	Fast once rain returns
Zoysiagrass	Good	Moderate — may thin	Moderate
Buffalograss	Excellent (native)	Very low — highly adapted	Fast
Tall Fescue	Moderate	High — heat stress likely	Slow; may need overseeding

Bermudagrass is the dominant turfgrass in Frisco yards and is the most forgiving under a two-day watering schedule. When restricted, set irrigation run times to apply water deeply — targeting 1 to 1.5 inches per watering session — rather than splitting shallow applications. Raise your mower deck to 2.5–3 inches during peak summer; taller turf shades the root zone and reduces soil moisture loss on the clay-heavy soils common across Collin County. Avoid applying nitrogen fertilizer during drought stress, as it pushes growth the plant cannot sustain with limited water.

Tall Fescue lawns in Frisco are at genuine risk during Moderate Restrictions combined with July and August heat. Fescue is a cool-season grass pushed into Frisco's market by landscapers, but it struggles above 95°F. If you have Fescue, prioritize morning watering on both assigned days, apply a thin layer of mulch around beds to reduce competition for soil moisture, and accept that some dormancy or thinning is likely. Plan for an October overseeding after temperatures drop below 85°F. Consider a long-term conversion to Bermuda or native Buffalograss if summer irrigation restrictions are a recurring annual stress.

Questions residents are asking

What days can I water my lawn in Frisco right now?

Under the current Moderate Restrictions, Frisco residents are permitted to irrigate on 2 assigned days per week, determined by your street address (typically odd vs. even numbering). Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day. Confirm your specific assigned days at friscotexas.gov under Water Utilities, since the pairing of days to address numbers is set within the ordinance and can vary by stage.

Can I water my garden by hand in Frisco during restrictions?

Yes. Hand watering with a handheld hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle is exempt from the two-day and restricted-hours rules under Frisco's Moderate Restrictions. You may hand-water vegetable gardens, potted plants, or individual trees on any day and at any hour. Drip irrigation systems are similarly exempt, making them one of the most restriction-proof options for garden beds and landscape trees.

What happens if I water on the wrong day in Frisco?

A first-time violation results in a written warning — no fine is issued. A second confirmed violation triggers a monetary fine. Repeat violations can lead to escalating fines and, in severe cases, the installation of a flow restrictor on your water meter by Frisco Water Utilities. Enforcement is carried out by code compliance officers and supported by the city's Advanced Metering Infrastructure smart meter network, which can flag abnormal usage patterns.

Does City of Frisco use smart meters to catch watering violations?

Yes. Frisco Water Utilities operates an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system that logs hourly water consumption data. If your irrigation system runs during restricted hours or on a non-assigned day, that data is visible to city staff. While most violations are caught through neighbor complaints or officer patrols, smart meter data can be used to confirm or support a violation finding. You can also use the AMI data yourself — through the customer portal — to monitor your own usage and leak detection.

Can my HOA fine me for a brown lawn while Frisco's restrictions are active?

No. Texas Property Code § 202.007 prohibits HOAs from fining residents for lawn conditions that result from compliance with a mandatory government-imposed water restriction. As long as Frisco's Moderate Restrictions are in force and your brown lawn is the result of following the schedule — not abandoning yard care entirely — your HOA cannot legally penalize you. Respond to any violation notice in writing, citing the statute and referencing the active restriction stage.

Does Frisco offer rebates for replacing grass with drought-tolerant landscaping?

Frisco Water Utilities has offered water-efficient landscape rebate programs in coordination with NTMWD's conservation initiatives. NTMWD's regional conservation program has historically provided rebates for WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers, soil moisture sensors, and turf replacement with low-water-use plants. Check the current program year's offerings at friscotexas.gov and at ntmwd.com for the regional rebate catalog. Availability and rebate amounts change annually based on program funding.

Can I fill or top off my swimming pool under Frisco's Moderate Restrictions?

Topping off an existing pool — replacing water lost to evaporation — is generally permitted under Moderate Restrictions using a hand-held hose with shut-off nozzle, ideally on your assigned watering days. Initial fills of new pools require a variance from Frisco Water Utilities; you cannot simply fill a newly installed pool without advance coordination. Pool evaporation in Frisco during July and August can exceed a half-inch per day due to heat and wind, so using a pool cover is the most effective way to reduce how often you need to add water.

How do I report a neighbor who is violating Frisco's watering restrictions?

Violation reports can be submitted through the City of Frisco's online service request portal at friscotexas.gov or through the city's code compliance division. Include the address, the date and time you observed the violation, and whether it was a sprinkler system or hand watering. The city typically responds to complaints within one to three business days. Anonymous reports are accepted. Frisco code compliance officers do conduct patrol-based enforcement in residential areas during early morning hours — the most common time for irrigation systems to run — particularly during summer restriction periods.

What time can I water in Frisco?

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 Frisco?

First offense: Warning first. Repeat violations: Fines. Contact City of Frisco for the full enforcement schedule.

When will water restrictions end in Frisco?

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