Alamo City Lawn & Stone
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What days can you water your lawn in San Antonio?
San Antonio is under SAWS Stage 3 watering rules: sprinkler, irrigation-system, or soaker-hose watering is allowed once a week, only on your designated day, from 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight. Your day is set by the last digit of your street address. Hand-watering with a shutoff nozzle is allowed any day.
Stage 3 has been in effect since the Edwards Aquifer’s J-17 index well fell below the 640-foot trigger, and SAWS confirms Stage 3 rules remain in effect as of July 2026. Drip irrigation and tree-bubbler zones are limited to Mondays and Fridays during the same hours. Check your day and the current stage at saws.org.
Source: San Antonio Water System (SAWS) / Edwards Aquifer Authority. Updated 2026-07-15.
| Rule | Detail (SAWS Stage 3, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Current stage | Stage 3 (Edwards Aquifer J-17 well ~626 ft, below 640-ft trigger) |
| Irrigation frequency | Once per week, on your designated day |
| Designated day | Assigned by the last digit of your street address (look up at saws.org) |
| Allowed hours (your day) | 5 – 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. – midnight |
| Year-round rule (all stages) | No sprinkler/irrigation watering 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. any day |
| Hand-watering / drip | Allowed any day with a handheld hose (shutoff) or drip |
| Stages | Escalate with aquifer level: Stage 1, 2, 3, 4 |
What hours can you water your lawn in San Antonio?
Stage 3 watering hours are 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight, and only on your one designated day each week for sprinklers, irrigation systems, and soaker hoses. Drip irrigation and tree bubblers run only Mondays and Fridays in those same hours; hand-watering with a shutoff nozzle is legal any time.
What is the year-round watering rule in San Antonio?
SAWS year-round rules, which apply whenever no drought stage is declared, allow sprinkler, irrigation-system, or soaker-hose watering on any day but only from midnight to 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight. That daytime ban limits evaporation in the South Texas heat. Stage restrictions, like today’s Stage 3, override these rules.
Can you hand-water or use drip during San Antonio drought restrictions?
Hand-watering is allowed any day and any time under Stage 3, as long as you use a handheld hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle. Drip irrigation and tree-bubbler zones are limited to Mondays and Fridays, 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight. Soaker hoses count as irrigation and stay on the once-a-week schedule.
What are the Edwards Aquifer drought stages?
SAWS stages follow the 10-day rolling average of the Edwards Aquifer J-17 index well: Stage 1 starts at 660 feet, Stage 2 at 650, and Stage 3 at 640. Stage 4 is declared at the city’s discretion in deeper drought. San Antonio remains in once-a-week Stage 3; confirm the current stage at saws.org.
What happens if you break San Antonio watering rules?
Breaking SAWS watering rules can bring citations and fines – watering on the wrong day, outside the 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight windows, or ignoring stage rules – and penalties escalate with repeat offenses. Set your irrigation controller to your assigned day and hours, and use hand-watering for anything extra.