Frequently Asked Questions

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 Year-round conditions 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 Year-round conditions or Drought Stage 1. 

You can apply for a variance by completing an application on the Texas Water Company website, which can be found here.  Variance application.

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.

Link to the DCP.

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: 

• Sprinklers on wrong day or time
• Unrepaired water leak
• Water run-off of any kind

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.

You will receive a notice from Texas Water Company (TWC). The goal is to protect the water supply and after several attempts to resolve the water violations, TWC will install a flow restrictor in the customer's service line. Customers are responsible for the cost of installation and removal up to $100.00. 

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. 

Water use necessary to sustain livestock and/or vegetable gardens and fruit orchards, primary for household use, are exempt. 

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 a regulated water utility responsible for providing safe drinking water to our customers with the role of forecasting the availability of reliable water service based on future projections. TWC will not provide water to new developments outside of our service territory. There are ongoing developments that historically reserved and paid for their water supply. Additionally, because our water supply plan considers the Drought Contingency Plan, every TWC customer must adhere to water use restrictions.