Watering Rules in Boerne and San Antonio: What You Need to Know

One of the most common mistakes we see is homeowners following the wrong watering rules for where they live. People assume the whole area runs on SAWS, and it does not. Your rules depend on your water provider, and in this corridor that changes from town to town.

North San Antonio is SAWS

If you are in Stone Oak, The Dominion, La Cantera, or most of the north side, you are almost certainly on SAWS. SAWS runs year round watering rules, and during drought stages your allowed watering day is tied to your address. There are also hours when you cannot run sprinklers, usually the hottest part of the day. Watering outside your window can mean a fine.

Boerne makes its own rules

Boerne is not on SAWS. The City of Boerne and area providers set their own schedules and drought stages, and they do not always line up with San Antonio's. This trips up a lot of people who move out from the city and keep watering on their old schedule.

Fair Oaks Ranch and some of the smaller communities have their own utilities too. The takeaway is simple: check who actually bills you for water, then follow that provider's current stage.

How to keep a lawn healthy inside the limits

The good news is that most lawns here do better with less frequent, deeper watering anyway. A deep soak once or twice a week grows deep roots. Light daily sprinkles grow shallow roots that fry in July.

Mowing height helps more than people expect. Taller grass shades its own soil and holds moisture, so you water less. That is one more reason we keep St. Augustine cut high.

When we install new sod, we build the watering plan around your provider's current rules from day one. If you are not sure what stage you are in or how to work within it, ask us. It is part of the job.