Austin Water Drought Response
Due to recent rainfall, Austin is not currently experiencing drought conditions. Water conservation is still essential for the long-term health of our Highland Lakes, the source of Austin's water supply. The next drought can happen at any time, which is why Austin Water keeps conservation a priority year-round.
Current Drought Status
As of Sept. 2, 2025, Austin is under Conservation Stage drought water use restrictions. Stage 1 restrictions will be triggered when water storage levels in the Highland Lakes reach 1.4 million acre-feet. Check LCRA's Highland Lakes overview for the latest lake level projections.
Download the Austin Water Drought Contingency Plan (PDF)
What You Can Do
Whether you're a resident or a business, there are simple steps you can take right now to use water wisely.
Residents
- Find your watering day and current restrictions
- Apply for water conservation rebates
- Find and fix leaks
- Sign up for leak alerts through the My ATX Water Customer Portal
- Get water saving tips
You may water your home's foundation on your assigned watering day and times. Set sprinklers to water the ground about 18 inches from the foundation.
Commercial Businesses
- Promote water conservation awareness among employees and customers.
- Detect and fix leaks — even small leaks add up to significant water waste.
- Verify your irrigation system is set to current watering restrictions and operating correctly.
- Have facility staff audit water-using devices from cooling towers to sinks to ensure they are operating efficiently.
- Hire a third-party water efficiency auditor and apply for Austin Water's Water Efficiency Audit rebate (PDF).
- Review resources and rebates for restaurants and commercial kitchens (PDF) and businesses (PDF).
Reporting Violations
Report watering violations by calling 3-1-1 or using the 3-1-1 mobile app.
More Information
Drought Contingency Plan
In 2016, Austin City Council approved an updated Drought Contingency Plan that established progressive water conservation standards going beyond what LCRA requires, including once-per-week irrigation year-round. The plan is updated and approved by City Council every five years. Austin is one of the only cities in Texas to adopt permanent year-round conservation watering restrictions.
These measures have made a measurable difference. In 2011, Austin Water customers used more than 160 gallons per capita per day. By 2023, that figure had dropped to about 131 gallons per capita per day.
Water Forward
In 2018, Austin City Council adopted Water Forward, Austin's 100-year integrated water resource plan. Updated in 2024, Water Forward addresses population growth, climate change and long-term water supply by identifying strategies for conservation, demand management and new water sources.
One key strategy is Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR), which would store water the City currently has access to in order to maximize local water resources during severe droughts. The ASR project is currently in the study phase and is targeted for completion around 2035 with a goal of storing 60,000 acre-feet by 2040.
Highland Lakes Water Management
In 2020, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved significant updates to the Lower Colorado River Authority's Water Management Plan for the Highland Lakes. As a major stakeholder, Austin Water helped shape a plan that improves methods of preserving water for cities during droughts, resulting in higher lake levels and more stored water when drought conditions develop.
The Lower Colorado River Basin has a long history of droughts, often broken by flooding events. For many decades, the 1950s drought was considered the worst on record for the region. The drought that spanned from late 2007 through 2015 surpassed that record and prompted major changes in how Austin Water plans for and responds to drought.
Both single-family and multifamily residential customers account for the most water use at 63%. The commercial sector, including hospitals, schools, industrial processes and retail, uses about 29%. Wholesale providers who source water from Austin Water use 6% and the City of Austin uses 2%.
The U.S. Drought Monitor tracks changing drought conditions across the country on a weekly basis and includes animated maps showing conditions over the past 4 to 12 weeks.
The State of Texas requires all retail public water utilities with more than 3,300 connections to maintain a drought contingency plan updated every five years. The TCEQ specifies required components and drought stages, but each utility sets its own stage triggers and response actions based on local factors including water sources, demand and total system capacity.
Austin Water follows a Drought Contingency Plan (PDF) approved by City Council and adopted as part of our Water Forward plan in 2024. Austin's restrictions on water use are more stringent than those in many neighboring communities.
City parks using potable water for irrigation must follow watering restriction rules. Auditorium Shores and Butler Metro Park use non-potable water drawn directly from Lady Bird Lake for irrigation, which is not subject to watering restrictions. Other City parks and golf courses use reclaimed non-potable water for irrigation, which is also not subject to restrictions.