Southlake’s Year-Round Watering Schedule: Rules, Reasons, and Smart Tips

Southlake, TX follows a year-round, twice-per-week watering schedule to keep our neighborhoods green while protecting a shared resource: our drinking water. If you’re a homeowner, renter, or property manager, this guide explains what the rules mean, why they matter, and how to keep your landscape healthy without wasting water. You’ll find practical tips—like choosing native plants, adding mulch, and checking your assigned watering days by address—so you can stay compliant and still enjoy a thriving yard.

What you’ll learn:

How Southlake’s twice-per-week watering rule works
Why the schedule protects supply and saves money for everyone
Smart, simple steps to water less and grow more
How to check your designated watering days and set your controller
Common mistakes to avoid (and easy fixes)

What Southlake’s Twice-Per-Week Rule Means

Southlake has a permanent, year-round watering schedule that limits automatic irrigation to two days per week. Your assigned days are based on your street address. The rule applies to in-ground sprinkler systems and hose-end sprinklers. Hand-watering and drip irrigation usually have more flexibility, but you should still aim to conserve.

Designated days: Look up your watering days by address on the City’s Water Smart page.
Best watering times: Water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. to reduce evaporation and wind drift.
Coverage: The rules apply to homes, HOAs, and commercial properties.

Why this is smart policy: Outdoor irrigation can account for 30–50% of total household water use during hot months. Watering twice per week keeps landscapes healthy while cutting waste, easing peak demand on the system, and lowering the risk of seasonal restrictions.

Why Conservation Matters (To You and the Community)

Ensures reliable supply: Demand spikes in summer put pressure on water treatment and delivery. Spreading out use makes the system more reliable.
Saves money: Efficient watering lowers your bill and reduces citywide operating costs over time.
Protects landscapes: Deep, infrequent watering trains roots to grow downward. That makes your yard more resilient in heat and drought.

A lawn watered deeply twice per week grows deeper roots than one watered lightly every day. The result: greener turf in August, fewer brown patches, and less runoff down the curb.

How to Check Your Watering Days (And Stick to Them)

Look it up: Visit the City of Southlake’s Water Smart webpage and enter your address to find your two assigned days.
Program your controller: Set only those two days. Turn off all other days. Most smart controllers have a “calendar” view—use it to verify.
Use seasonal adjust: As weather changes, adjust runtime by percentage instead of reprogramming every station.
Add a rain/freeze sensor: It’s inexpensive and often required by code. It prevents watering during rain or freezing weather.
Skip after rain: If the soil is still moist, use your controller’s “rain delay” for 24–72 hours.

Tip: Post your assigned days in a visible spot in your garage or utility room. If you have landscapers, share the schedule with them.

The Watering Basics: How Much and How Often

Aim to water lawns for a total of about 1 inch per week, including rainfall. Most turf in North Texas does well with:

Spring: 0.5–1 inch/week depending on rain
Summer: 1 inch/week in two deep soakings
Fall: 0.5–0.75 inch/week as temps cool
Winter: Water only as needed during dry spells to protect roots

How to measure an inch:

Tuna can test: Place a few shallow cans around the yard and run your system. Add up the depth collected across your stations to hit about 0.5 inch per cycle, twice per week in summer.
Soil probe check: Use a screwdriver or soil probe. If it slides in 6 inches easily, you’ve watered enough.

Cycle-and-soak method (prevents runoff):

Split each zone into two shorter cycles, 10–15 minutes apart, to let water soak in.
Example: Instead of 20 minutes straight, run 10 minutes, wait, then run 10 more.

Build a Water-Wise Yard That Still Looks Great

Choose Native and Adaptive Plants

Texas-native and well-adapted plants need less water and fertilizer, and they resist local pests. Many bloom beautifully and attract pollinators.

Great options for Southlake:

Shrubs: Texas sage (Leucophyllum), dwarf yaupon holly, abelia
Perennials: Black-eyed Susan, salvia, lantana, Turk’s cap
Ornamental grasses: Gulf muhly, little bluestem
Trees: Cedar elm, bur oak, Mexican plum

Plant in groups (hydrozones) based on water needs. Put high-demand plants near a hose bib or drip zone and drought-tolerant plants in separate zones.

Mulch the Smart Way

Mulch is your best friend for saving water:

Depth: 2–3 inches over bare soil in beds
Benefits: Cuts evaporation, smooths soil temperatures, suppresses weeds
Keep mulch a few inches away from tree trunks and stems to prevent rot

Refreshing mulch each spring can reduce watering needs by 25% or more in planting beds.

Improve Your Soil

North Texas clay soils benefit from organic matter and aeration:

Topdressing: Add 0.25–0.5 inch of compost to lawns in spring or fall to boost water retention
Aeration: Core aerate compacted areas so water can reach roots instead of running off

Convert Spray Heads to Drip in Beds

Drip irrigation targets roots precisely and reduces evaporation and overspray:

Use 0.5–1 gph emitters for shrubs and perennials
Space inline drip lines 12–18 inches apart in larger beds
Cover with mulch to protect lines and improve appearance

Mow Higher and Sharpen Blades

For most warm-season turf (Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia):

Mow at the high end of the recommended height to shade the soil and reduce evaporation
Keep mower blades sharp to reduce stress and water demand

Tune Your Irrigation System for Compliance and Health

Map your zones: Note which areas are sunny, shady, sloped, or bedded. Adjust runtimes by zone needs.
Fix leaks: Wet spots, bubbling heads, or unusually high bills often mean a leak. Repair promptly.
Align spray heads: Overspray onto sidewalks or streets is wasted water. Aim heads carefully and replace broken nozzles.
Add a smart controller: Weather-based controllers adjust schedules automatically. Many integrate with local forecasts and use soil moisture data.
Use drip and matched precipitation nozzles: Even application prevents dry spots and runoff.

Pro move: Run a test cycle midday when you can watch each zone. Mark any issues and fix them before your next watering day.

Seasonal Adjustments: Water With the Weather

Spring: Gradually increase from winter settings as plants leaf out. Watch rainfall; you may skip cycles.
Summer: Stick to the two-day schedule. Water early morning for best absorption.
Fall: Cut back as temperatures drop and days shorten. Too much water invites disease.
Winter: Water sparingly, mainly before hard freezes to protect roots in dry soil.

If rain is forecast within 24 hours, consider a rain delay. If your soil is still moist at 2–3 inches depth, skip the next cycle.

Common Mistakes (And Easy Fixes)

Watering too often: Leads to shallow roots. Fix: Water deeper, less often—twice per week max.
Watering at midday: High evaporation and wind drift. Fix: Before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Same runtime for every zone: Shade and sun differ. Fix: Adjust by zone and soil type.
Ignoring wind: Strong wind wastes water. Fix: Use your controller’s wind skip (if available) or delay a cycle.
No rain/freeze sensor: Unnecessary watering. Fix: Install a sensor and test it each season.

How to Balance Beauty and Conservation

You don’t need to choose between a vibrant yard and responsible water use. A landscape with native plants, healthy soil, smart irrigation, and mulch can thrive on two watering days per week.

Sample weekly plan in peak summer:

Monday: Inspect mulch and drip lines; hand-water new plants if the soil is dry
Tuesday (assigned day): Deep watering cycle with cycle-and-soak
Thursday: Quick soil check; prune and deadhead to reduce plant stress
Saturday (assigned day): Second deep cycle; use rain delay if recent rainfall totals exceed 0.5 inch

Resources and Next Steps

Check your assigned watering days by address on the City of Southlake’s Water Smart page.
Review the city’s watering restrictions to understand permitted methods and times.
Schedule a sprinkler system checkup with a licensed irrigator or use a city-recommended evaluation program if available.
Start small: Convert one bed to drip, add mulch, and replace a few plants with drought-tolerant natives this season.

A Community Effort That Pays Off

By working together and committing to water conservation, we can make a significant impact—both for our community today and for future generations. Every household that follows the watering schedule, swaps out thirsty plants for natives, and shares tips with a neighbor helps preserve our shared resources. Let’s lead by example: encourage your friends, talk with your neighborhood association, and help spread the word about sustainable practices. Make water-wise choices part of your routine, and let’s keep Southlake thriving, green, and resilient for years to come.