McAllen Water Restrictions 2026
Hidalgo County · Texas
Published:
Restrictions Active - Mandatory Stage 2 Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan
2
Days/Week
12:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Allowed Hours
Up to $500 per violation under Chapter 102 of the City of McAllen Code of Ordinances
Max Fine
Find Your Watering Day
Enter the last digit of your street address:
View full address schedule table
| Address Ending | Watering Day |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Sunday & Wednesday |
| Zone 2 | Monday & Thursday |
| Zone 3 | Tuesday & Friday |
| Zone 4 | Wednesday & Saturday |
| Zone 5 | Monday & Thursday |
| Zone 6 | Tuesday & Friday |
Allowed Watering Hours
Under McAllen's Stage 2 plan, sprinkler and in-ground irrigation use is allowed only on each property's two assigned zone days, and only between midnight and 10:00 a.m. or between 6:00 p.m. and midnight. McAllen Public Utility has divided the service area into six watering zones; your zone is determined by your service address and listed on the MPU water conservation page. Watering with an automatic sprinkler system between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or on a non-assigned day, is a violation even when the zone day matches.
Still Allowed
💧 Hand Watering
Allowed with shut-off nozzle. Hours: A hand-held hose or watering can may be used any time of any day with no restrictions, provided the hose or can is held by the resident at all times. Hoses left unattended on the ground or in a sprinkler are considered sprinkler-system use and fall under the zone schedule..
🌿 Drip Irrigation
Exempt from day-of-week limits. Must follow allowed hours.
Fines & Enforcement
Up to $500 per violation under Chapter 102 of the City of McAllen Code of Ordinances
McAllen's Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan is enforced by ordinance. Customers who run a sprinkler system outside their designated zone day or hours may be assessed fines, with repeat or commercial offenders facing higher penalties and potential service interruption. First contacts are typically a written warning before escalation.
Citations begin September 5, 2023🏠 HOA Rules During Restrictions
Texas Property Code Section 202.007 prevents Hidalgo County HOAs from prohibiting drought-resistant landscaping, water-conserving turf, rain barrels, or efficient irrigation equipment. During McAllen's mandatory Stage 2, HOA landscape covenants cannot be used to force watering that violates the city ordinance, and an HOA cannot fine a homeowner for a brown lawn caused by lawful compliance with MPU's zone schedule.
If your homeowners association sends a violation notice for a dormant or brown lawn during the current restriction period, respond in writing citing the applicable law and include a copy of the current restriction order from McAllen Public Utility. Most HOAs will rescind the notice once they are made aware of the legal protections in place. If the issue persists, contact your county’s code enforcement division for assistance.
Why These Restrictions Exist
Texas is in its deepest sustained drought in more than a decade. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) projects a 924,400 acre-foot annual water shortfall across the Rio Grande Valley by 2030, and Amistad and Falcon reservoirs, the two mainstem storage projects on the Rio Grande that supply nearly every city from Laredo to the Gulf, have fallen to record-low combined conservation storage. The Rio Grande Basin is rated in exceptional drought (D4) by the U.S. Drought Monitor, and Governor Abbott's 2026 drought disaster proclamation continues to include Hidalgo County.
McAllen Public Utility draws its raw water from the Rio Grande through a wholesale relationship with Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 1 and operates two surface-water treatment plants for roughly 144,000 residents. With reservoir storage below the Stage 2 trigger of 25 percent of combined Amistad-Falcon capacity, MPU has kept the city under mandatory Stage 2 since September 5, 2023, and Hidalgo County has maintained an active local drought disaster declaration alongside the state proclamation.
Water on the lower Rio Grande is governed by the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty, and Mexico's chronic shortfall on its five-year delivery cycle from the Rio Conchos tributaries has compounded the supply problem for border cities like McAllen. The region is also surrounded by irrigated agriculture (citrus, sugarcane, onions, row crops) that competes for the same Rio Grande allocation, so municipal conservation directly affects how much water remains for growers in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties.
McAllen sits in the regional cluster of Rio Grande Valley cities tightening restrictions in lockstep: Brownsville Public Utilities Board moved to Stage 2 in 2023, Laredo and Webb County remain under their own drought plans upstream, and smaller Hidalgo County utilities in Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, and Weslaco have followed McAllen's lead. As the largest urban customer in Hidalgo County, McAllen's Stage 2 compliance sets the conservation benchmark for the rest of the valley.
This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the McAllen area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.
How to Keep Your Lawn Alive During McAllen Water Restrictions
11 tips tailored for McAllen homeowners during Mandatory Stage 2 Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan restrictions.
Bermuda and St. Augustine, McAllen's dominant warm-season turf grasses, can survive Stage 2 by mowing high (3 to 4 inches for St. Augustine, 2 to 2.5 inches for Bermuda) so deeper roots can reach subtropical soil moisture.
Check your MPU zone before you set your controller; running the system on a neighbor's day is the most common Stage 2 violation in McAllen.
Water only in the pre-dawn block (midnight to dawn) on your zone day; evaporation in McAllen's 95+ degree summers can exceed 60 percent during the legal 6 p.m. to midnight window.
Replace thirsty St. Augustine in full-sun strips with native South Texas plants such as Texas sage (cenizo), esperanza, lantana, kidneywood, and Mexican olive that thrive on Rio Grande Valley rainfall alone.
Use a soil-moisture probe or screwdriver test before watering; McAllen's heavy clay soils hold water longer than the surface appears.
Install a free MPU-approved rain sensor or smart controller; many homes still run pre-2010 timers that water during rare valley rain events.
Mulch citrus, palms, and ornamental beds with 3 to 4 inches of shredded hardwood to cut soil evaporation in the subtropical heat.
Convert vegetable gardens and fruit trees (especially backyard citrus and avocado) to drip irrigation; drip is exempt from the zone-day and hour limits.
Capture A/C condensate in 5-gallon buckets; in McAllen's humidity a typical home unit can produce 5 to 15 gallons a day of distilled-quality water for potted plants.
Audit for leaks quarterly; a single irrigation head broken at the riser can waste 1,000+ gallons during a legal 10-hour Stage 2 cycle.
Sweep driveways, patios, and pool decks instead of hosing them off; washing paved areas is explicitly prohibited under Stage 2.
McAllen Water Restriction FAQs
What days can I water my lawn in McAllen?
What hours can I run my sprinklers in McAllen?
What are the fines for water violations in McAllen?
Can I install new sod or seed in McAllen during restrictions?
When will water restrictions end in McAllen?
How do I find my McAllen watering zone?
Why is McAllen still in Stage 2 in 2026?
Can I water a brand-new lawn or new sod during Stage 2 in McAllen?
Are hand watering, drip irrigation, and pools allowed during Stage 2?
What happens if my neighbor or HOA waters outside the schedule?
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