SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio has been under stage 2 watering restrictions since April of 2022 but the number of citations issued to customers found to be in violation of the watering rules has quadrupled in recent months.
KSAT reached out to SAWS regarding citations for watering violations and to get more information about watering times.
During Stage 2, watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose is allowed only between 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. on your designated day which is determined by the last digit of your address. Violators of the watering restrictions will be fined.
“Every citation goes to municipal court and customers have the option to pay online or visit municipal court. The cost is about $137, but the amount is at the judge’s discretion,” SAWS spokesperson Anne Hayden told KSAT via email. “People can contest a citation. It’s like contesting a traffic ticket.”
Hayden said she didn’t have any data available regarding the number of citations that are upheld versus overturned.
She also provided the following citation information for the past 12 months:
| Month | Number of Citations |
|---|---|
| September 2022 | 814 |
| October 2022 | 744 |
| November 2022 | 436 |
| December 2022 | 275 |
| January 2023 | 374 |
| February 2023 | 297 |
| March 2023 | 567 |
| April 2023 | 460 |
| May 2023 | 413 |
| June 2023 | 1,091 |
| July 2023 | 2,127 |
| August 2023 | 1,878 |
| September 2023 (through Sept. 18) | 523 |
Hayden noted that the dramatic increase in citations starting in June 2023 is the result of SAWS adding trained staff from other departments to assist with drought patrols.
“Most customers who receive a citation do not receive another one, and we do see a decrease in water use after a citation for residential customers, indicating that citations are effective at getting residential customers to reduce their use,” she said.
The last time San Antonio changed its conservation ordinance was in 2014 but water trends have shifted in the last decade with SAWS previously citing irrigation systems, mainly on newer homes, as an additional load on the city’s water system.
“Before the last drought ordinance change, they were different, starting earlier in the morning, but we had complaints from those using hose-end sprinklers that moving those around in the yard was hazardous before down,” SAWS spokesperson Anne Hayden told KSAT via email. “The current hours were based on feedback from the public. We are currently in the process of seeking feedback for proposed new changes to the drought ordinance.”
KSAT previously reported that SAWS is considering changing the enforcement of water rule violations.
Anyone who wants to take a SAWS survey to lend their voice on upcoming proposed changes can do so at WateringRules.com.
Editor’s note: The video attached to this article is from a previous report.