Plano TX Water Restrictions 2026

Current water restrictions in Plano, Texas

Plano enforces a year-round mandatory watering schedule that took effect April 1, 2026 under the city's drought contingency ordinance. Unlike many Texas cities that escalate restrictions only during drought emergencies, Plano's twice-weekly schedule is permanent — every property in the city water service area is allowed to irrigate exactly two days per week, with no daytime watering during peak heat. The schedule is enforced regardless of regional drought stage; declarations of higher stages by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) layer additional rules on top of the baseline.

Plano is one of the largest cities served by NTMWD, with a population of about 290,000 and a household irrigation footprint that punches well above its weight in the DFW metroplex's overall water demand. The city's enforcement is administered through Plano Water Resources at 972-769-4150, with staff and patrol vehicles checking neighborhoods during peak irrigation hours. Violations are prosecuted as Class C misdemeanors in municipal court.

The 2026 schedule is identical in structure to prior years but slightly tightened on hand-watering enforcement: the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout now applies even to hand-held hoses and soaker hoses, where in past summers there was looser enforcement during the heat-of-day window. Drip irrigation remains exempt, recognizing its near-zero evaporative loss.

The restrictions apply to every customer of Plano water service. Properties with permitted private wells used solely for irrigation are exempt from the city schedule, though such wells are uncommon in Plano's residential subdivisions. Variances for newly installed sod or seed are available through plano.gov/variances on a 30-day basis.

NTMWD-wide drought stage decisions can override Plano's baseline schedule with stricter rules — a Stage 3 declaration, for instance, would cut Plano residents to one day per week. As of May 2026, NTMWD remained at its baseline Year-Round Stage 1 for all member cities including Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and Wylie.

When can you water in Plano?

Plano's mandatory schedule limits sprinkler-based outdoor irrigation to two days per week, by the last digit of your street address.

HOAs and addresses ending in 0 follow the even-address schedule. Maximum runtime per watering day: 2 hours per zone. Sprinkler systems set up to run consecutive zones for hours on end will be in violation even on assigned days.

• Hand watering with a hose or soaker hose: permitted any day, but still subject to the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout window.
• Drip irrigation (subsurface or above-ground emitters): exempt from the day-of-week schedule and the daytime blackout.
• New sod or seed within 30 days of installation: 30-day variance available through plano.gov/variances allowing more frequent watering during establishment.
• Foundation watering with a hand-held hose: permitted any day to prevent soil shrinkage damage; cannot use a sprinkler system to do this.
• Athletic fields and parks: subject to a separate municipal schedule with reduced runtimes.

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 — even on your assigned day during permitted hours.

Penalty schedule for water violations

Plano's enforcement framework treats the watering schedule as a Class C misdemeanor ordinance violation, prosecutable in municipal court.

• First violation: a written warning. The violation is logged in the city's enforcement database and the customer's water account is flagged.
• Second and subsequent violations: a citation issued to municipal court with fines per the city's Class C misdemeanor schedule. Fines can reach several hundred dollars per offense and may be assessed per day of continued violation.
• Persistent violators: Plano Water Resources can request a hearing for water-service interruption in extreme cases.

Violations are detected through field inspections by Water Resources staff, complaint-driven follow-up, and consumption-data review (unusual irrigation runtimes flag accounts for inspection). To report a violation, call 972-769-4150 or use the online reporting form at plano.gov.

If you receive a citation you believe is in error, you can appeal to Plano Water Resources within 14 days of issuance, with documentation supporting the appeal — controller logs showing the system did not run during prohibited hours, repair invoices showing recent maintenance, and similar evidence.

Other outdoor water rules

The mandatory schedule is part of a broader drought contingency ordinance that prohibits or restricts several outdoor water uses:

• Watering during rain: prohibited. Smart controllers with rain sensors are strongly recommended; sensors are required for new irrigation systems installed after 2014 under Texas state law.
• Watering during freezing temperatures: prohibited (causes ice and damages turf).
• Excessive runoff to the gutter or street: prohibited at all times.
• Broken or misaligned sprinkler heads: prohibited; must be repaired before the next watering day.
• Vehicle washing at home: permitted, but only with a hand-held hose with shut-off nozzle, and only outside the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. blackout window. Driveway hosing for cleaning is prohibited.
• Pool filling and topping off: permitted any day for top-offs to replace evaporative loss; new pool fills require a permit and are not subject to the watering schedule.
• Fountains and decorative water features: permitted if they recirculate water; new installations require a permit.

The city's WaterIsAwesome.com partner program publishes weekly watering recommendations based on actual evapotranspiration data, often advising even less than the schedule allows during cooler or wetter weeks. Following the weekly recommendation rather than always watering both assigned days is the most cost-effective approach for most homeowners.

Where Plano's water comes from

Plano is one of the largest member cities of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), a wholesale water provider that serves about 2 million people across 13 member cities and more than 80 customer accounts in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties. Plano does not draw or treat its own water — every drop in the city's distribution system comes from NTMWD.

NTMWD's primary surface-water sources are Lavon Lake (the system's namesake reservoir, just east of Wylie), Lake Texoma (on the Red River, shared with Oklahoma), and several smaller reservoirs including Lake Tawakoni and Jim Chapman Lake. Lavon Lake is the most prone to drought stress because of its smaller storage volume; during the 2011–2015 drought, Lavon dropped to historic lows and triggered region-wide Stage 3 restrictions.

NTMWD has invested aggressively in water reuse, particularly through the East Fork Water Reuse Project — one of the largest indirect potable reuse projects in the United States. Treated effluent from the East Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant is released to a constructed wetlands south of Lake Tawakoni, where natural processes further polish the water before it is conveyed back to Lavon Lake for re-treatment as drinking water. This system effectively extends the supply by recapturing water that would otherwise leave the basin.

For residents, the practical takeaway is that Plano's water security depends on regional infrastructure and basin-wide drought stage decisions made by NTMWD, not just on local rainfall. Even a wet spring in Plano won't lift restrictions if upstream reservoirs in NTMWD's system are still recovering. Drought-stage decisions are made by the NTMWD Drought Management Committee, which evaluates conditions monthly.

Can your HOA fine you for a brown lawn?

Plano has hundreds of HOA-governed neighborhoods, and several of those have covenants requiring green, well-irrigated lawns. State law gives the city's mandatory watering schedule precedence over those covenants.

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

City policy further specifies that HOAs must follow the even-address schedule for any HOA-managed common areas — common-area irrigation cannot run on different days than residential properties. This prevents an HOA from creating an enforcement double-standard where residents are limited but the entrance fountain and median landscaping run unrestricted.

Sample response if you receive an HOA violation notice for a brown lawn during the year-round schedule:

"Dear [HOA Board], the City of Plano enforces a year-round mandatory watering schedule 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 any correspondence. The Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division and the Texas Real Estate Commission both have HOA mediation resources, and homeowners reliably prevail when documented water-conservation measures are in effect.

How to manage your lawn during drought

Plano sits in the warm-season climate band where bermudagrass, St. Augustine, zoysiagrass, and buffalograss dominate residential lawns. Each grass type has a different drought tolerance and response to the twice-weekly schedule.

Mow at the upper end of the recommended range. Taller blades shade the soil, slow evaporation, and keep crowns cooler.

Leave clippings as mulch. Mulched clippings return moisture and nitrogen to the soil. Bagging during summer increases the lawn's water demand.

Skip summer fertilizer. Fertilizer pushes growth, which increases water demand and stresses the lawn during heat. Apply in fall and again in late spring before peak heat.

Aerate in spring or fall, not summer. Aeration during active drought creates evaporative pathways and can stress the lawn.

Brown is not dead. Bermudagrass and zoysia are designed to go dormant under heat and water stress and to recover when conditions improve. A properly maintained Plano lawn that browns in August will green back up after the first cool, rainy week in October.

Questions residents are asking

What days can I water my lawn in Plano?

Two days per week, by address. Even addresses (including 0) and HOAs water Monday and Thursday. Odd addresses water Tuesday and Friday. No watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

What time can I water in Plano?

Outside the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. blackout window — 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.

What are the fines for watering violations in Plano?

First violation: a written warning. Subsequent violations: Class C misdemeanor citations issued to municipal court, with fines that can reach several hundred dollars per offense. Persistent violators face escalating enforcement.

My HOA says I have to water on their schedule, not the city's. Who wins?

The city. Texas Property Code § 202.007 prohibits HOAs from blocking compliance with municipal water conservation measures. Plano city policy further requires HOAs to follow the even-address schedule for common-area irrigation. If your HOA insists on a stricter or different schedule, point them to the statute and the city's drought ordinance.

Can I water new sod outside the schedule?

Yes, with a 30-day variance from Plano Water Resources via plano.gov/variances. The variance allows more frequent watering during establishment, after which the standard schedule resumes.

Is drip irrigation subject to the schedule?

No. Drip irrigation is exempt from both the day-of-week limit and the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daytime blackout because evaporative loss is near-zero.

Where does my water actually come from?

Plano is a member city of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), which draws from Lavon Lake, Lake Texoma, and supplemental sources including the East Fork Water Reuse Project. Plano does not treat its own water; everything in the system comes from NTMWD's regional treatment plants.

How do I report a water waste violation in Plano?

Call Plano Water Resources at 972-769-4150 or use the online reporting form at plano.gov. You do not need to identify yourself for the report to be investigated.

When will water restrictions end in Plano?

Current Year-Round Mandatory Watering Schedule restrictions are in effect through Year-round — permanent schedule. Monitor https://www.plano.gov/1813/Watering-Guidelines-and-Management for the latest status.

Can I hand water during Plano 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 Plano Water Resources.