City of Austin Stage 2 Watering Restrictions Summary
- Automatic irrigation and hose-end watering is restricted to one day per week.
- Automatic irrigation runtime is reduced by 3 hours with cutoff at 5 a.m. instead of 8 a.m.
- Water waste is prohibited.
- Restaurants may serve water only upon request.
- Charity car washes are prohibited, and home car washing must use an auto-shut-off valve or a bucket.
- Patio misters at commercial properties, including restaurants and bars, may operate only between 4 p.m. and midnight.
- Large ornamental fountains can no longer be operated.
- New landscape-establishment irrigation is no longer exempt from the watering schedule.
Exemptions
The following are allowed at any time on any day of the week:
- Watering with drip irrigation, a hand-held hose or a refillable container
- Watering trees with a Treegator®, soaker hose or automatic tree bubbler
- Watering vegetable gardens with a soaker hose
- To protect the health, safety, or welfare of the public
- Using reclaimed or auxiliary water
- Irrigating athletic fields
- Watering plant material at a commercial nursery
- Watering in or commercially applied herbicide or pesticide
