New Braunfels TX Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in New Braunfels, Texas

New Braunfels is currently under Stage 2 Drought restrictions, limiting outdoor irrigation to one assigned day per week, enforced as a mandatory program by New Braunfels Utilities (NBU).

New Braunfels Utilities declared Stage 2 restrictions in direct response to critically low levels in the Edwards Aquifer, the sole underground water source serving New Braunfels and much of the Texas Hill Country. The Edwards Aquifer Authority monitors water levels through index wells, and when those levels drop into trigger zones, utilities across the region are required to escalate restrictions accordingly. NBU's drought response plan ties each restriction stage directly to aquifer conditions, meaning Stage 2 remains in effect until the Edwards Aquifer recovers to the threshold levels defined in NBU's water conservation plan — there is no fixed calendar end date.

This drought is part of a broader regional water emergency across Central Texas. Neighboring San Antonio has been under Stage 3 restrictions since June 2024 — the first Stage 3 in San Antonio Water System's 30-year history — and multiple other cities drawing from the Edwards Aquifer system are operating under mandatory schedules. New Braunfels sits in the same hydrological basin and faces the same underlying pressure on the aquifer.

Practically speaking, a Stage 2 restriction means a resident cannot water their garden on any random morning they choose. If your address is assigned Wednesday as your watering day, you may run your irrigation system only on Wednesday, and only before 10:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. Watering at noon on a Wednesday, or on a Thursday morning regardless of the hour, both constitute violations. Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle and drip irrigation systems carry exemptions, but sprinkler-based and in-ground irrigation systems are bound by the one-day-per-week rule without exception.

For the most current stage status and any updates to your assigned watering day, visit nbutexas.com.

Watering schedule and allowed days

Your watering day in New Braunfels is determined by your property address, not by personal preference or seasonal rotation. The table below summarizes the core rules under the current Stage 2 restrictions.

Rule	Details
Days per week	1
Day assignment	1 assigned day per week based on street address
Allowed hours	Before 10:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m.
Hand watering	Exempt — shut-off nozzle required at all times
Drip irrigation	Exempt from day/hour restrictions
New sod or seed	30-day establishment window typically available — register with New Braunfels Utilities before installation

New Braunfels Utilities assigns watering days based on the last digit or street address number of your service address, following a rotating schedule published on the NBU website. Odd-numbered addresses and even-numbered addresses are staggered across different days to prevent simultaneous peak demand from overloading the distribution system. If you are unsure of your assigned day, log into your NBU account portal or contact customer service at nbutexas.com to confirm before running any irrigation.

Commercial properties and multi-family complexes such as apartment communities follow the same address-based assignment system, but irrigation controllers serving common areas and landscaped medians must be programmed to comply with the one-day schedule. HOA-managed common areas are not exempt simply because they serve multiple units — the address of record for the meter governs the assigned day. Businesses that rely on high-volume irrigation for sports turf or managed green spaces should contact NBU directly to discuss compliance options rather than assume an exception applies.

Under Stage 2, NBU encourages homeowners to prioritize deep, infrequent watering on their assigned day. This is particularly important for established trees that are high-value and slow to recover from water stress. Live oaks (Quercus fusiformis), which are native to the New Braunfels area and vulnerable to oak wilt, benefit from slow, deep root-zone watering rather than surface spray. Cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) and Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana) are also common in New Braunfels landscapes and require attention during sustained drought — both tolerate dry conditions better than oaks but still need supplemental water during extended Stage 2 conditions.

What happens if you violate restrictions in New Braunfels?

New Braunfels Utilities issues a warning on a first observed violation before escalating to financial penalties. The fine structure is designed to encourage compliance through education first, but repeat violations draw formal fines with no ceiling on escalation.

Offense	Penalty
First offense	Written warning — no fine assessed
Second offense	Monetary fine issued per NBU drought ordinance
Subsequent offenses	Escalating fines; potential flow restrictor installation on service line

NBU enforces restrictions through a combination of customer complaint reports, field patrols by utility staff, and increasingly, data from advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart meters deployed across the New Braunfels service area. Smart meters record usage in 15-minute intervals, which means NBU can identify accounts showing irrigation activity outside permitted hours or on non-assigned days without requiring a neighbor complaint or physical observation. This data-driven enforcement approach allows NBU to send warning letters based on meter records alone, making passive violations — such as a timer-controlled system running on the wrong day — just as detectable as visible sprinkler misuse.

If you believe a violation notice was issued in error — for example, because a drip system was misidentified as prohibited irrigation — NBU provides a formal appeals process through its customer service department. Documentation such as a drip system installation receipt or a photo of the system type can support an appeal. NBU has generally responded to complaint-based violation reports within a few business days, and contested notices are reviewed before fines are formally billed to the account.

Other outdoor water rules

Stage 2 restrictions in New Braunfels extend beyond lawn irrigation. The following activities are affected or governed by separate rules under NBU's drought response ordinance.

• Vehicle washing: Washing cars, trucks, and boats at home is permitted only with a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle. Running an open hose across a driveway is prohibited. Commercial car washes that recycle water are permitted to operate normally.
• Swimming pools and hot tubs: Filling a new pool or refilling a drained pool requires NBU authorization during Stage 2. Topping off an existing pool to compensate for evaporation — significant in New Braunfels summers with consistent 95–100°F days — is generally permitted but must be done during allowed watering hours.
• Decorative fountains and water features: Recirculating fountains that do not discharge water are allowed. Continuously flowing decorative water features that discharge to a drain or landscaping are prohibited under Stage 2.
• Pressure washing: Pressure washing of driveways, sidewalks, and exterior building surfaces for non-safety, non-sanitation reasons is discouraged and may be restricted. Pressure washing for food safety compliance at commercial properties is treated separately.
• Construction water: Water used for dust suppression, concrete curing, and site grading at active construction sites requires coordination with NBU and is subject to Stage 2 efficiency requirements.
• Restaurants: Restaurants may not serve water to diners unless explicitly requested — a Texas drought-era rule that applies during Stage 2 conditions.

Water source and infrastructure

New Braunfels draws its entire municipal water supply from the Edwards Aquifer, a karstic limestone aquifer that stretches across roughly 180 miles of the Texas Hill Country and recharges primarily through rainfall filtering through the Balcones Escarpment west and northwest of the city. There is no surface reservoir serving as a backup supply — the Edwards Aquifer is the water supply.

The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA), a regional regulatory agency created by the Texas Legislature in 1993, manages pumping permits and monitors aquifer levels through a network of index wells. The most closely watched is the J-17 index well in San Antonio's Bexar County, which has served as the primary indicator of aquifer health for decades. A second index well, the J-27 in Uvalde County, tracks the western portion of the aquifer. When J-17 drops below defined trigger elevations measured in feet above mean sea level, utilities including NBU are required under their EAA permits to implement corresponding drought stages. Stage 2 at NBU corresponds to a J-17 level that has dropped into a defined critical band, reflecting the same aquifer decline driving Stage 3 conditions in San Antonio.

New Braunfels Utilities pumps Edwards Aquifer water through a series of NBU-operated production wells located within the Comal County service area. That water is treated at the NBU Water Treatment Facility before distribution through the city's pipe network. The Guadalupe River and Comal River — the Comal Springs being the largest springs in Texas and among the most significant discharge points for the Edwards Aquifer — flow through New Braunfels but are not used directly as municipal supply sources. Their health is, however, directly tied to aquifer levels, and the Comal Springs have ceased flowing during historic droughts, most recently in 1956.

Because New Braunfels has no alternative surface water source or supplemental reservoir, every gallon saved during Stage 2 restrictions directly affects aquifer recovery rates and the timeline for lifting restrictions.

Brown lawn protections in Texas

Texas homeowners are protected from HOA enforcement actions targeting drought-related lawn browning under Texas Property Code § 202.007. This statute prohibits a property owners' association from fining or penalizing a homeowner for failing to water landscaping, allowing grass to go dormant or brown, or installing drought-resistant plants — when a governmental entity has declared a drought emergency or implemented water restrictions. Because New Braunfels Utilities has declared Stage 2 mandatory restrictions, § 202.007 protections apply to NBU customers within HOA-governed communities in New Braunfels.

If your HOA sends a violation notice about dead or dormant grass while Stage 2 restrictions are in effect, you are not required to water more than your assigned day allows. Document your assigned watering day, retain any communication from NBU confirming the Stage 2 status, and respond in writing to the HOA. The statute also prohibits HOAs from requiring homeowners to replace drought-damaged plants during an active water shortage declaration.

Use the following template to respond to an HOA violation notice:

"This letter is to notify [HOA Name] that my property at [Address] is subject to mandatory Stage 2 Drought restrictions enforced by New Braunfels Utilities (NBU). Under Texas Property Code § 202.007, a property owners' association may not fine or penalize a homeowner for landscape conditions resulting from compliance with a governmental water-use restriction. NBU's Stage 2 restrictions limit outdoor irrigation to one assigned day per week. My lawn's current condition reflects compliance with those mandatory restrictions, not neglect. I request that this violation notice be withdrawn and that no fine be assessed. For verification of the current restriction status, contact New Braunfels Utilities at nbutexas.com."

Lawn care during restrictions

New Braunfels sits in the warm, semi-arid transition zone of Central Texas, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F and winter freezes are infrequent but not rare. The grasses that perform here are warm-season varieties built for heat and periodic drought stress.

Grass Type	Drought Tolerance	Minimum Water to Survive	Stage 2 Survival Outlook
Bermudagrass	High	~0.5 in/week at peak summer	Strong — goes dormant, recovers well
Zoysiagrass	Moderate-High	~0.75 in/week	Good — slow recovery if fully dormant
St. Augustinegrass	Moderate	~1.0 in/week	Stressed — prioritize watering on assigned day
Buffalograss	Very High	~0.25 in/week	Excellent — native to Texas, Stage 2 manageable

In New Braunfels's brutal July and August heat, the single most important adjustment for any lawn type is raising your mower blade. Bermudagrass should be cut no lower than 1.5 inches during drought stress, and St. Augustine should stay at 3.5 to 4 inches — taller grass shades the soil, reduces evaporation, and keeps root zones cooler between watering cycles. On your assigned watering day, run irrigation long enough to deliver at least 1 inch of water, measured with an empty tuna can placed in the irrigation zone. A single deep soak is far more effective than two shallow ones, and deep-rooted grass survives extended dry intervals far better than shallow-rooted turf encouraged by frequent light watering.

Homeowners who want to reduce their dependence on the Edwards Aquifer long-term should consider converting portions of their lawn to Texas-native xeriscape plantings. NBU has encouraged turf conversion toward native groundcovers and ornamental grasses such as Muhlenbergia capillaris (Gulf muhly) and Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feathergrass), which require no supplemental irrigation once established in New Braunfels's climate. These plantings fall outside the watering schedule restrictions once establishment is complete.

Common questions about New Braunfels water restrictions

What is my assigned watering day under Stage 2 restrictions in New Braunfels?

Your watering day is assigned by New Braunfels Utilities based on your service address — typically by the last digit of your street number, following NBU's address-based rotation schedule. To confirm your specific assigned day, log into your NBU account at nbutexas.com or contact NBU customer service. Do not assume your day based on a neighbor's schedule, since adjacent even and odd addresses are assigned to different days by design.

Can I water my lawn before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on any day, or only my assigned day?

Only on your assigned day. The allowed hours — before 10:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. — apply within that single permitted day. Watering at 6:00 a.m. on a non-assigned day is still a violation, just as watering at noon on your assigned day is. Both the day restriction and the hour restriction must be met simultaneously.

Will New Braunfels Utilities catch me if my sprinkler timer runs on the wrong day?

Yes. NBU has deployed advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart meters that record water use in 15-minute intervals around the clock. NBU staff can identify irrigation events occurring on the wrong day or during prohibited midday hours without physically observing your sprinklers. Automated timer violations are among the most commonly detected infractions under this system, and NBU can issue a warning letter based solely on meter data.

Does Stage 2 affect when I can fill or top off my swimming pool?

Topping off an existing pool to replace evaporation losses is generally permitted during your assigned watering hours. Filling a new pool from scratch or refilling a completely drained pool requires you to contact New Braunfels Utilities in advance for authorization during Stage 2. Given that New Braunfels regularly sees weeks of 95–100°F temperatures that accelerate pool evaporation, NBU treats routine top-off differently from large-volume new fills.

Can I wash my car at home during Stage 2 restrictions?

Yes, but only with a hand-held hose fitted with a positive shut-off nozzle. Letting a hose run continuously across a driveway while washing a vehicle is prohibited under Stage 2. Commercial car washes equipped with water recycling systems are permitted to operate normally and are not subject to the same restrictions as residential hose use.

When will Stage 2 restrictions end in New Braunfels?

There is no fixed end date. New Braunfels Utilities ties its drought stages directly to Edwards Aquifer levels, monitored through the J-17 index well. Restrictions will be downgraded from Stage 2 when aquifer levels recover to the threshold defined in NBU's water conservation plan. Given that neighboring San Antonio remains at the more severe Stage 3 — the first in SAWS's 30-year history — and the aquifer remains critically low, Stage 2 in New Braunfels is expected to remain in place through the foreseeable future absent significant and sustained rainfall across the Hill Country recharge zone.

Does my HOA have any authority to force me to water more than Stage 2 allows?

No. Texas Property Code § 202.007 explicitly prohibits property owners' associations from penalizing homeowners for brown or dormant lawns during active government-declared water restrictions. Because NBU's Stage 2 restrictions are mandatory, not voluntary, your HOA cannot override them or fine you for following them. If you receive a violation notice, respond in writing citing § 202.007 and NBU's Stage 2 declaration, and request the notice be formally withdrawn.

Does New Braunfels Utilities offer rebates for replacing grass with drought-tolerant landscaping?

NBU has offered water conservation rebate programs for customers converting traditional turf to low-water-use landscaping, including rebates for qualifying WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers and turf conversion projects. Rebate availability and amounts change based on program funding, so check the current offerings directly at nbutexas.com under the conservation or rebate section. Applying before beginning any conversion project is essential, as most NBU rebate programs require pre-approval to qualify.

What days can I water my lawn in New Braunfels?

1 assigned day/week by address Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle is typically allowed any day during permitted hours.

What are the fines for watering violations in New Braunfels?

First offense: Warning first. Repeat violations: Fines. Contact New Braunfels Utilities for the full enforcement schedule.

Can I hand water during New Braunfels 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 New Braunfels Utilities.

How do I report a water waste violation in New Braunfels?

Contact New Braunfels Utilities or visit https://www.nbutexas.com. Most utilities accept online reports and respond within 48 hours.