A variance is a temporary exemption, authorized by Texas Water Company, for individuals who can demonstrate just cause for uses prohibited in the Drought Contingency Plan. Variance requests for new landscaping and/or sod are only accepted during Drought Stage 0 or Drought Stage 1.
Any Texas Water Company customer can apply for a variance. Retail customers must have a current backflow device inspection and a completed customer service inspection to be considered for a variance. Variance requests for new landscaping and/or sod are only accepted during Drought Stage 0 or Drought Stage 1.
The Texas Administrative Code requires Texas Water Company to have a Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). Texas Water Company updates these plans to ensure we are being a strong steward of water and submits these plans to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for approval, at least, every five years.
A DCP is a strategy Texas Water Company implements to manage water supply during a drought, or other water supply shortage.
The DCP contains year-round rules and water restrictions that vary during different drought stages. The requirements are established to protect the Texas Water Company (TWC) water supply and applies to all TWC customers including individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, wholesale, and all other legal entities.
A water violation is the use of water that violates the requirements in the Drought Contingency Plan. Examples of violations include:
You received a water violation for not following Texas Water Company’s current Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). The DCP includes a watering schedule, water restrictions, and prohibits water waste. If you believe your irrigation system is set properly, we encourage you to review your irrigation system controller because irrigation system controllers can reset to factory default program settings if there are battery issues or power outages.
Use our water violation form to report a homeowner or business violating the Drought Contingency Plan.
If a violation is identified, Texas Water Company will send a notice to inform you. Continued non-compliance may lead to enforcement actions such as administrative fees, a flow restrictor, or service termination.
A water flow restrictor is a device that decreases the internal diameter of the water service line and reduces the quantity of water able to flow through the line.
Although rainfall can provide some drought relief, a single rainstorm typically does not break the drought because water supplies must be replenished in the aquifers and lakes.
Learn more: USGS website
Visit our Outdoor Conservation Tips page!
Visit our Indoor Conservation Tips page!
Texas Water Company (TWC) serves multiple counties with different water systems and water supplies. These differences result in varying drought stage triggers for each county. Please visit our Drought Management page for specific triggers for your area. Examples of triggers include state well levels, groundwater conservation district declarations, U.S. Drought Monitor, rates of precipitation, etc.
All Texas Water Company (TWC) customers must follow the requirements of the Drought Contingency Plan. The TWC provides contractors with treated effluent from our Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Texas Water Company (TWC) is committed to conserving water through several key initiatives:
Water conservation is a shared responsibility, and we remain dedicated to reducing water use while providing reliable service to our customers.