Sugar Land’s 2025 Drought Contingency Plan: What Stage 1 Means and How You Can Help

When drought tightens its grip on Texas, every gallon counts—and community action becomes the difference between steady service and tighter restrictions. Sugar Land’s 2025 Drought Contingency Plan lays out a clear path for how the city manages water demand when conditions get dry. Right now, the city is in Stage 1, which focuses on voluntary conservation. This is your chance to make simple changes that add up to big savings across neighborhoods, businesses, and parks.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

What Stage 1 voluntary conservation looks like
The recommended watering schedule for residents, HOAs, and businesses
What could trigger Stage 2 and what changes with mandatory restrictions
Practical, easy water-saving tips that fit into daily life
Why participation matters—and how to get involved right away

Why Sugar Land Has a Drought Contingency Plan

Water systems are designed to handle everyday use and heat waves, but prolonged drought pushes demand higher while supply pressure can drop. A Drought Contingency Plan helps cities:

Stabilize system pressure and protect infrastructure
Prioritize essential uses (drinking, sanitation, firefighting)
Delay or avoid mandatory restrictions through early, coordinated action
Communicate consistent rules so residents and businesses know what to do

Sugar Land’s plan uses stages that increase conservation measures as conditions worsen. Entering Stage 1 doesn’t mean the tap will run dry. It means the city is asking everyone to use water wisely so stricter rules aren’t needed later.

Stage 1: Voluntary Conservation Measures

Stage 1 is about smart, simple steps that reduce peak demand. The goal is to spread watering across the week, cut waste, and avoid system strain during the hottest hours.

The Voluntary Watering Schedule

Residential (even-numbered addresses): Monday and Thursday
Residential (odd-numbered addresses): Tuesday and Friday
Commercial properties and homeowners’ associations (HOAs): Wednesday and Saturday

Water only during the most efficient windows:

Midnight to 10 a.m.
8 p.m. to midnight

Why these times? Early morning and late evening watering reduces evaporation and wind drift, so more water reaches the roots. Sticking to the schedule helps spread demand over seven days instead of a few crowded mornings.

What Else Stage 1 Encourages

Hold off on non-essential outdoor water use (like frequent car washing)
Fix leaks quickly—indoors and outdoors
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks
Run faucets only when needed (brushing, shaving, washing dishes)
Upgrade to WaterSense-labeled fixtures when you can

These voluntary steps are small on their own. Citywide, they make a real dent in water use.

What Could Trigger Stage 2—and What Changes

If voluntary measures aren’t enough and water production stays high or supply constraints worsen, Sugar Land can move to Stage 2. That shift brings mandatory rules.

What typically changes in Stage 2:

Mandatory twice-per-week irrigation limits by address (similar to Stage 1’s pattern)
Tighter enforcement and potential citations for violations
More limits on non-essential water use (e.g., curbside car washing, decorative fountains that aren’t recirculating)

The best way to avoid Stage 2 is to treat Stage 1 like it’s mandatory. If the community meets the targets now, the system stays resilient later.

Practical Water-Saving Tips for Homes

You don’t need a major renovation to cut your use. Start with the easy wins.

Outdoors: Where the Big Savings Live

Check sprinkler heads monthly. Look for misaligned, tilted, or broken heads that spray sidewalks or streets. Replace broken nozzles and adjust angles so water hits plants, not pavement.
Run a 10-minute zone test. Watch each irrigation zone. If water pools, runs off, or hits hardscape, fix the run time, nozzle type, or arc.
Use cycle-and-soak. Clay soils common in the region absorb water slowly. Try two shorter cycles (e.g., 2 x 6 minutes) with a 30–60 minute break instead of one long 12-minute run. You’ll get deeper watering with less runoff.
Cap or convert spray heads in shrub beds. Drip irrigation delivers water right to the roots and can cut outdoor use by 20–50% compared to sprays.
Raise your mower blade. Taller grass shades the soil, reduces evaporation, and grows deeper roots. Set blades to about 3–3.5 inches for most warm-season grasses.
Add 2–3 inches of mulch to beds. Mulch can reduce evaporation by up to 30%, and it keeps soil cooler in summer.
Skip watering for 48 hours after rain. Use a rain sensor or smart controller to automate this.
Spot-water hot patches. Use a watering can or soaker hose for small problem areas instead of running the full system.
Sweep, don’t spray. Clear patios, porches, and driveways with a broom or blower instead of a hose.

Indoors: Small Changes, Steady Savings

Fix silent leaks. A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day. Drop a dye tablet or food coloring in the tank; if color shows in the bowl after 10 minutes without flushing, replace the flapper.
Install WaterSense fixtures. Low-flow showerheads (2.0 gpm or less), faucet aerators (1.0–1.5 gpm), and 1.28 gpf toilets can cut indoor use by 20% or more without sacrificing performance.
Run full loads. Dishwashers and washing machines are more efficient at capacity. Choose eco cycles when available.
Turn off taps while brushing, shaving, or scrubbing dishes. It’s an easy habit that saves several gallons a day.
Keep a pitcher in the fridge. You’ll run the tap less waiting for cold water.

Smart Tech That Pays Back

Weather-based smart controllers. These adjust schedules based on temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. Many utilities offer rebates for approved models.
Soil moisture sensors. These prevent watering when the soil still has enough moisture.
High-efficiency nozzles. MP rotators and pressure-regulated heads apply water more evenly and at lower rates, reducing runoff.

Water-Saving Tips for HOAs and Businesses

Commercial landscapes and common areas can be major water users. Small improvements deliver large savings.

Align irrigation with the schedule. Water on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, during the allowed hours.
Audit large systems each season. Check valves, heads, pressure, and coverage. Fix high-pressure misting and overspray.
Convert ornamentals to drip. Targeted watering protects plant health and saves water.
Adjust runtimes by zone. Sunny turf may need more than shaded beds. Avoid one-size-fits-all schedules.
Choose drought-tolerant plants. Native and adapted species need less water once established. Refresh plant palettes during routine replacements.
Use moisture sensors on large sites. They prevent watering when it isn’t needed.
Train maintenance crews. A 30-minute toolbox talk on sprinkler checks, cycle-and-soak, and leak reporting can save thousands of gallons each week.

Common Questions

Do I have to follow Stage 1 rules?

Stage 1 is voluntary, but broad participation can prevent stricter, mandatory rules later. Think of it as a team effort to avoid Stage 2.

Will my lawn suffer with less watering?

Most warm-season grasses prefer deeper, less frequent watering. Watering within the recommended windows and using cycle-and-soak helps lawns thrive with fewer days per week.

How much can these tips really save?

Fixing one running toilet: up to 6,000 gallons per month
Replacing old showerheads: up to 2,700 gallons per person per year
Switching spray beds to drip: 20–50% outdoor reduction depending on layout
Smart controllers: 8–20% savings in many studies compared to fixed schedules

How to Get Started This Week

Set your controller: Choose your two approved days based on your address and set watering times within the recommended windows.
Walk your system: Spend 15 minutes watching a full cycle. Adjust heads, fix breaks, cap sprays in beds.
Install aerators: They’re cheap, quick, and effective for bathrooms and kitchens.
Pick one upgrade: A smart controller, drip conversion for one bed, or a high-efficiency showerhead.
Share the plan: Remind neighbors, HOA boards, and coworkers about the schedule and tips.

Why Community Participation Matters

Water systems are shared. When thousands of households shave off a few minutes of irrigation or fix a leak, the pressure on pumps, storage tanks, and treatment capacity drops right away. That stability helps the city maintain fire protection, prevent main breaks, and keep quality consistent during peak demand. It also stretches limited supplies when rainfall is scarce.

Stage 1 is an opportunity—not a burden. It gives Sugar Land the chance to stay ahead of the curve, protect infrastructure, and avoid mandatory restrictions. Your actions this week influence what the city needs to do next month.

The Bottom Line

Follow the voluntary watering schedule:

- Even addresses: Monday and Thursday
- Odd addresses: Tuesday and Friday
- Commercial/HOAs: Wednesday and Saturday
- Water only from midnight–10 a.m. or 8 p.m.–midnight

Use simple conservation habits: check sprinklers, sweep instead of spray, fix leaks, and install water-efficient fixtures.
Treat Stage 1 like it matters—because it does. Your participation helps Sugar Land avoid Stage 2 mandatory restrictions.

If you make just a few changes, you’ll save water, cut bills, and help the entire community weather the drought together.

Every drop counts, and small efforts make a big difference. By staying mindful of your water habits and encouraging others in the community to do the same, you’re contributing to a sustainable future. Together, we can ensure our city’s water supply remains steady and resilient during challenging times.