# Watering restrictions: how to keep your lawn alive

Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/landscaping/watering-restrictions-lawn

## Short answer

Set the sprinkler controller to your allowed days and an early start, before 10 a.m. Split each run into two or three shorter cycles so the water soaks in instead of running off. Mow at a higher setting and leave the clippings. Water trees first, because they are hard to replace. Warm-season grass like Bermuda can go dormant and turn tan, then come back when water returns.

## How to keep your lawn alive under watering restrictions

![Cartoon lawn looking worried at a city watering schedule that allows only two days a week](https://pros411.com/img/guias/watering-restrictions-lawn.webp)

1. **Your city allows only a few days.** Many cities in Texas, California, Arizona, Florida and New Mexico limit lawn watering to one or two days a week in summer or drought.
2. **Set your days and an early start.** Program the controller for your allowed days and a start before 10 a.m. Turn off any extra programs so no zone runs twice.
3. **Short cycles that soak in.** Split each zone’s time into two or three shorter runs, 30 to 60 minutes apart. The water soaks in instead of running down the street.
4. **Mow high and leave the clippings.** Taller grass shades the soil and keeps it cooler. Clippings left on the lawn hold moisture and feed the soil.
5. **Water the tree first; the lawn can rest.** Give trees a slow, deep soak under the edge of the branches. A tan, dormant lawn is resting, not dead, and usually recovers with water.

## Get the most from every drop

- Fix leaks and broken heads first. A broken head wastes water every time its zone runs.
- Aim the heads at the lawn, not the sidewalk or the driveway.
- Add a rain sensor or a smart controller that skips watering when it rains.
- Hand watering and drip are often allowed on more days. Check your city’s rules.
- Skip fertilizer during the hottest weeks. It pushes growth the lawn cannot keep watered.

## Dormant or dead?

Bermuda and buffalo grass can go dormant in heat and drought and come back when water returns. St. Augustine and tall fescue handle long dry spells worse, so give them every watering you are allowed. Tug on the grass: if it holds firm, the roots are alive.

## When to call a landscaper

- Large areas stay brown weeks after regular watering returns.
- Your controller cannot be set to your city’s schedule (time for a new or smart one).
- You want to replace part of the lawn with plants on drip.
- Your trees drop leaves or branches in the middle of summer.

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## Frequently asked questions

### How do I keep my lawn alive during watering restrictions?

Water early on your allowed days in short cycles, mow higher, leave the clippings and fix leaks. Let warm-season grass go dormant if it must, and keep your trees watered.

### Will my lawn die if I only water once a week?

Usually not. Most established lawns survive on one deep watering a week, though they may turn tan and grow slowly. Deep, early watering helps them most.

### Is it OK to let my lawn go dormant?

For Bermuda and buffalo grass, yes. They go dormant in drought and come back with water. St. Augustine and tall fescue are less forgiving, so water them on every allowed day.

### Can I hand water during watering restrictions?

Many cities allow hand watering with a shut-off nozzle, and drip irrigation, on more days than sprinklers. The rules change from city to city, so check your water utility’s website.

### What is cycle and soak watering?

Splitting one long run into two or three short ones, with 30 to 60 minutes in between. The soil soaks up each round, so less water runs off.