Because of ongoing drought conditions, and the current statewide disaster proclamation issued by Governor Rick Perry, the City is asking residents, businesses and homeowners associations (HOAs) to cut back all outdoor water usage to help spread and balance peak water demands. Voluntary compliance will help ensure an adequate water supply and pressure for the entire City's needs, including fire protection.

The primary goal of the City’s Voluntary Water Use Schedule is to distribute customers' water use throughout the week and throughout the day. The City’s System is designed to deliver adequate water; however when everyone uses the water during the same time period, on the same day of the week, the pumps and production system becomes stressed beyond comfortable operation mode.

The City recommends:

• Water no more than twice a week – this reduces the daily demand on the City’s Water System and distributes city-wide irrigation usage throughout the week. Addresses ending in odd numbers should irrigate on odd days, even addresses on even days.
• Water lawns only 8:00 pm - midnight – yes, this is counter to what lawn care specialists recommend, however 60% of the City’s water demand is used for irrigation; changing irrigation times reduces the early morning demand on the City’s Water System, and coupled with twice a week watering, distributes water use and reduces drastic water use spikes in demand.
• Operate irrigation systems manually – automated irrigation systems can use more water than the plants actually need. Manual operation can help regulate water use more efficiently, watering only when the plants need it. For example, grass in the shade may need water only once per week; grass in the sun may need water only twice per week.
• Water only when grass and plants begin to show signs of distress – watering before plants “need” it, produces weaker landscapes and lawns with shallow root systems that are more susceptible to drought conditions and pests.
• HOAs are asked to reduce irrigation on City's rights of way to no more than twice per week and extend their irrigation hours from midnight - 8:00 a.m. to help balance city-wide demand.
• TAMU Expert advice on Lawn Care & Irrigation Needs - The Fort Bend County Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service offers expert advice on plants and needs in the Sugar Land Area. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/docs/pubs/waterconservation.pdf
• Evaluate your irrigation system for water use efficiency – turn on the system and check for broken and misaligned heads. The City’s W.I.S.E. Guys program can assist you in evaluating your irrigation systems.
  

Conservation Efforts

More Information on the City's Request for Water Conservation

The W.I.S.E Guys Program
The city has contracted with Water Irrigation System Evaluations (W.I.S.E. Guys) to provide Sugar Land residents with a comprehensive evaluation of your irrigation system, at no cost to you.

Relevant Links

TCEQ - Texas Drought Information

TCEQ - Drought Map