Water Wise Denton

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Stage 2 Drought Restrictions are officially lifted. We are very grateful to our community for reducing irrigation to one day a week while we were under restrictions. All necessary repairs have been completed and residents may now resume twice-per-week irrigation based on address. As a reminder, irrigation days are based on address and schedule is as follows:


Welcome to Water Wise Denton!!!

We are happy you are here. Water is our most precious resource, and Denton Water Utilities is dedicated to ensuring water security for our community today, and for our long term future. One way are ensuring water security, is by being a better steward of discretionary water use. Discretionary water use is water that is used for non-necessities. The largest discretionary water use is irrigation used to keep front lawns green. This specific use of water accounts for up to 70% of all water usage in the summer, unfortunately a large quantity of water is also wasted through summer irrigation. Misaligned sprinklers that water the pavement, and over watering (which creates shallow roots) can waste millions of gallons each day. B

Water security involves water supply, and water demand - and we need your help, but we also understand that it isn't fair for us to ask you to conserve without providing you the full picture. This website is created with the purpose of providing our community facts on how much water Denton is using day to day, and how that daily usage fits into the larger picture of how much water we actually have. We also understand that it isn't fair to ask our community to conserve, without providing information on how to do so.

Everyday, we will update the website with a few key pieces of information:

- Rain Totals: Our water utility tracks and monitors the rainfall patterns so that we can predict and understand if we are trending towards a drought situation long before it happens. We provide a chart showing this information, because we believe our community has the right to know what we know. Rainfall totals are an average for Denton, sometimes parts of Denton will receive rain, and other parts will not, but ultimately the rain received will make its way into our water supply lakes.

- Daily Water Usage: We track and monitor how much water is used daily. Our largest discretionary use of water is irrigation, which typically begins in the Spring, but as the temperature rises can become very problematic in the summer. In the last few years we have come very close to using as much water as we can produce, which puts us in a drought contingency scenario. We will track and monitor our Daily usages and rolling averages to show you how we are trending, and where that matches up against our drought stage triggers.

Every year water usage is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. This is because the largest discretionary use is irrigation. Have you wondered how we stack up year to on our monthly totals? Here is our 13 month rolling average.

- Conservation Tips, Water Utility News and other information - In the News update section below, we will provide updates at least once a week on free resources for conservation classes, gardening tips, critical water news, and more.


Lastly, you have the ability to reach out to us with questions and suggestions, and we want to hear from you. We do our best to respond quickly, typically within 1 business day.



Stage 2 Drought Restrictions are officially lifted. We are very grateful to our community for reducing irrigation to one day a week while we were under restrictions. All necessary repairs have been completed and residents may now resume twice-per-week irrigation based on address. As a reminder, irrigation days are based on address and schedule is as follows:


Welcome to Water Wise Denton!!!

We are happy you are here. Water is our most precious resource, and Denton Water Utilities is dedicated to ensuring water security for our community today, and for our long term future. One way are ensuring water security, is by being a better steward of discretionary water use. Discretionary water use is water that is used for non-necessities. The largest discretionary water use is irrigation used to keep front lawns green. This specific use of water accounts for up to 70% of all water usage in the summer, unfortunately a large quantity of water is also wasted through summer irrigation. Misaligned sprinklers that water the pavement, and over watering (which creates shallow roots) can waste millions of gallons each day. B

Water security involves water supply, and water demand - and we need your help, but we also understand that it isn't fair for us to ask you to conserve without providing you the full picture. This website is created with the purpose of providing our community facts on how much water Denton is using day to day, and how that daily usage fits into the larger picture of how much water we actually have. We also understand that it isn't fair to ask our community to conserve, without providing information on how to do so.

Everyday, we will update the website with a few key pieces of information:

- Rain Totals: Our water utility tracks and monitors the rainfall patterns so that we can predict and understand if we are trending towards a drought situation long before it happens. We provide a chart showing this information, because we believe our community has the right to know what we know. Rainfall totals are an average for Denton, sometimes parts of Denton will receive rain, and other parts will not, but ultimately the rain received will make its way into our water supply lakes.

- Daily Water Usage: We track and monitor how much water is used daily. Our largest discretionary use of water is irrigation, which typically begins in the Spring, but as the temperature rises can become very problematic in the summer. In the last few years we have come very close to using as much water as we can produce, which puts us in a drought contingency scenario. We will track and monitor our Daily usages and rolling averages to show you how we are trending, and where that matches up against our drought stage triggers.

Every year water usage is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. This is because the largest discretionary use is irrigation. Have you wondered how we stack up year to on our monthly totals? Here is our 13 month rolling average.

- Conservation Tips, Water Utility News and other information - In the News update section below, we will provide updates at least once a week on free resources for conservation classes, gardening tips, critical water news, and more.


Lastly, you have the ability to reach out to us with questions and suggestions, and we want to hear from you. We do our best to respond quickly, typically within 1 business day.



  • Another Record Breaking Day

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    Yesterday saw the highest water usage again for 2024 at over 31 Million Gallons!

    While irrigating grasses is the largest discretionary (or non essential to life) use of water, there are certainly some ways you can conserve indoors as well. Small changes make a big difference when we work together!

    1. Fix Leaks Promptly: Check faucets, toilets, and pipes regularly for leaks and repair them promptly. A small leak can waste significant amounts of water over time.

    2. Install Water-Efficient Fixtures: Replace old toilets, showerheads, and faucets with WaterSense labeled fixtures. They use less water without sacrificing performance.

    3. Take Shorter Showers: Aim for showers that last no longer than 5-10 minutes. Consider using a shower timer to help track your time.

    4. Turn Off Taps: Don't let the water run unnecessarily. Turn off the tap while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing hands.

    5. Use Dishwashers Efficiently: Wait until you have a full load before running the dishwasher. Also, use the eco-cycle if available.

    6. Upgrade Appliances: Choose energy-efficient washing machines and dishwashers that use less water per cycle.

    7. Reuse Water: Collect water from rinsing fruits and vegetables or waiting for hot water to use for watering plants or cleaning.

    8. Insulate Pipes: Insulating hot water pipes reduces the time it takes for hot water to reach taps, saving water and energy.

    9. Adjust Toilet Water Level: Make sure your toilet tank's water level is set correctly. It should be just below the overflow pipe.

    10. Educate Household Members: Ensure everyone in your household is aware of the importance of water conservation and encourage them to follow these tips.

    By implementing these indoor water conservation tips, you can significantly reduce your water usage and contribute to environmental sustainability.

  • What is drip irrigation?

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    Drip irrigation is a method of watering plants by applying water slowly and directly to the soil at the root zone of plants. Drip irrigation does not lead to water waste and targets specific plants intentionally, and is often used for garden food crops. Here’s how it works and why it conserves water better than sprinklers:

    1. Method of Delivery: In drip irrigation, water is delivered through a network of tubes or hoses, often with emitters or drippers placed at regular intervals near the base of plants. These emitters release water slowly, in small quantities, directly onto the soil surface.

    2. Targeted Watering: Unlike sprinkler systems that spray water into the air, drip irrigation delivers water right to where it's needed most: the roots. This targeted approach ensures minimal water is lost to evaporation, wind, or runoff.

    3. Reduced Evaporation: Because water is applied directly to the soil and roots, there is significantly less evaporation compared to sprinkler systems, where water is dispersed into the air and can be lost before reaching the ground. In the heat of the summer, 50% of the water from spray irrigation can be lost to evaporation. That means half of what you spend to irrigate can literally disappear into thin air if you water between 10am and 6pm.

    4. Efficient Water Use: Drip irrigation systems are highly efficient in water use because they minimize losses associated with surface runoff and deep percolation beyond the root zone. Water is applied slowly enough for the soil to absorb it effectively, reducing wastage.

    5. Suitable for Various Soils: Drip irrigation can be adapted to different soil types and plant needs by adjusting the flow rate and placement of emitters. This flexibility ensures that water is used optimally for each specific plant type.

    6. Consistent Moisture Levels: By maintaining a consistent level of moisture in the root zone, drip irrigation promotes healthier plants with less stress, leading to better growth and yield.

    7. Environmental Benefits: Conservation of water through drip irrigation is an environmentally friendly choice.

    In summary, drip irrigation conserves water better than sprinklers because it delivers water directly to the root zone with minimal losses due to evaporation, runoff, or overspray. It maximizes the efficiency of water use, making it a preferred method in areas where water resources are limited or where conservation is a priority. Because drip irrigation is more efficient, it is not considered part of the irrigation schedule, and systems may be run any day of the week. Systems must, however, be in repair and must not have holes/ leaks/ or malfunction.

  • 30 Million Gallon Saturday

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    This Saturday we surpassed 30 million gallons of water demand from Denton Residents!

  • Usage Records Continue - What to Expect

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    Yesterday was another record breaking water demand day, at nearly 30 million gallons. So what happens when we continue to increase demand?

    It is normal for us to see demand increase throughout the summer, eventually topping out around mid-August, then decreasing in mid-September. With the power of both of our water treatment plants combined, we can treat a maximum of 50 Million Gallons of Water per day! While that is an impressive amount of water, it is not the best idea to use the system at full capacity. It can be helpful to think about your car, while you may be able to max out your car at 120 Miles per hour, it's not the best choice to continue to do so regularly.

    So what do we do when residential usages increase? As a municipal provider, we are legally required to implement restrictions on water usage when demands creep up towards our capacity. There are certain triggers in place to determine exactly when and how we take action to avoid maxing out our system. These triggers are divided into 3 Categories:


    Stage System Percent
    Water Demand
    		 Duration
    1- Mild 85% 42.5 MGD 4 Consecutive days
    2- Moderate 90% 45 MGD 3 Consecutive days
    3- Severe 95% 47.5 MGD 2 Consecutive days


    So, for example, if we use 42.5 million gallons of water a day for 4 days in a row, we automatically enter Stage 1 Drought Restrictions, and we will remain in restrictions through the end of September, even if usages decrease. 42.5 Million gallons is 85 % of our 50 Million Gallon Capacity, and can begin to stress our system.

    Each stage of drought has stricter guidelines on water usage, and no matter how much water is in the lake, or how rainy it has been, we are required to implement these measures.

    When we adhere to the irrigation schedule (which is listed above in the main body of the page) , our demand spikes are not as dramatic, and we are much more likely to avoid entering into Drought Restrictions!

  • Another Record Breaking Demand Day

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    Demand has gone up to a weekly average of 25 Million Gallons of water per day, and yesterday we hit our highest demand yet, at 27.7 million gallons. That averages out to 155 gallons of water per person per day!


    Small changes can make a big difference. If everyone in Denton turned the tap off while they brush their teeth, we'd save 300,000 gallons per day!

  • 2024 Water Use Record Broken

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    On Friday 6/14 we had our highest customer demand, of 25.6 million gallons of water. Fridays are a non-irrigation day. Please work with us by following the city-wide irrigation schedule. It is not abnormal for us to continue to break demand records around this time of year, but having the record broken on a Friday means we may need your help in getting the work out about our irrigation schedule. With the partnership of our conservation minded residents, we can continue to preserve supplies for the future! Thank you!

  • Highest Water Usage to Date

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    Yesterday Denton used over 24 Million Gallons of Water! This is our first time in 2024 to break 24 million. As temperatures increase, water usage increases as well. So while it is not unexpected that we have hit an annual milestone, this milestone should be something we consider. What water wise habits can we implement? Some simple solutions can be:

    1. Do not use you toilet as a trash can! We will save you the gory details of the items that make their way to the wastewater treatment plant.... but we do want to stress please, please throw trash in the trash. Wasting water to flush trash is just that, a waste.

    2. Use a broom, not the hose, to sweep off porches.

    3. Got the gardening bug? Plant natives and avoid water hungry species of plants that do not thrive here.

    4. Do not order a water you dont intend to drink. It used to be customary to order a water with your soft drink/ tea, etc.. at restaurants. These waters often get discarded, still full. Skip the water you don't intend to drink.

    5. Speak up when you see broken sprinklers. Do you have a neighbor with a sprinkler turned geyser? Odds are they don't know, this is a good opportunity to let them now they have a busted sprinkler head. If you are not comfortable talking to your neighbor, you can reach out to us at https://dentontx.citysourced.com/ and we can send someone to inform your neighbor. This information will not be a citation, just a friendly heads up on an issue they likely are not aware of.

  • Irrigation Schedule FAQs

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    We have been fortunate to have great conversations with our residents surrounding our new irrigation schedules. One of the best parts of having our residents reach out to us, is getting to answer questions we did not anticipate. We would like to share some of the FAQs that have come out of our conversations:


    I only water once a week, why is the city forcing me to water more?

    We are not asking residents to water twice a week, the schedule indicates which days irrigation is allowed to take place for a particular address. Residents are free to irrigate up to twice a week on their assigned days, but there is no obligation to water on these days.

    I have a smarts sensor for my irrigation system and because of that I should not have to follow the irrigation schedule.

    We are working to spread out/ normalize usage peaks. During the winter (non-irrigation months) we typically see 20 million gallons a day demand from the system. During the summer months we exceed 40 million gallons at intermittent spike intervals. These spikes mean that we must pay for upsizing our adequate infrastructure which still has much usage life, to accommodate a few demand spikes. The cost of doing so gets passed on to our ratepayers. By abiding by the irrigation schedule, you are helping to ensure that the smart controller irrigation community does not cause a spike on a particular day.

    I invested in an advanced irrigation sensor and now its useless to me.

    Smart Sensors are designed to accommodate irrigation schedules. You can program your days into your system, and the system will skip any pre-programmed day that occurs at a time when the ground is saturated, then automatically pick back up at the next pre-programmed day.

    This schedule does not work for my routine, you will need to give me an exemption.

    There are few things more frustrating than settling into a good routine, only to have it shaken up for reasons beyond your control. This is why we have implemented a grace period, to allow for sufficient time to change and become accustomed to the new routine. Thank you for working with us to conserve!



    Do you have any other questions that we can answer? Please reach out in the question section below, or email conservewater@cityofdenton.com.

  • Annual Summer Watering Ordinance now in effect

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    Friendly reminder it is now June, and our annual summer watering ordinance is now in effect.

    Watering is prohibited between the hours of 10am and 6pm from June 1st - September 30th.

    There have been some questions related to the way the new twice a week irrigation schedule works with the annual summer watering ordinance. If it is your irrigation day based on the irrigation schedule, you may water from 12:01 am - 9:59 am, stop watering by 10 am, then you may resume from 6:00 pm - 11:59 pm.

    The twice a week watering schedule is alway in effect, whereas the summer watering ordinance is designed to eliminate evaporative water waste, and is only in effect for the hottest periods of the year.

  • Automatic Irrigation Awareness

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    Did you know on Monday we received 2.84" of rain? This was the largest amount of rain received in a day this year.

    That same day, we used 23.4 Million Gallons of Water - which is in the top 3 highest demand days for the year. These two pieces of information suggest that automatic watering was taking place. This means sprinklers were set to run on certain days, and were not adjusted for rainfall.

    While we always ask to be aware of your sprinkler system and to water only when necessary and according to your assigned watering days, there are steps that you can take to ensure that your sprinklers are not running when its raining or when the ground is already saturated. Rain sensors can be retrofitted to existing sprinkler systems. If enough rain has fallen, then the sensors let the timer know to skip the next cycle and not run. It's a convenient piece of technology. If you're out of town or just unaware of the weather forecast, the rain sensor will make sure your lawn isn't overwatered. Rain sensors are not cost prohibitive, and some are available for as little as 10$.

Page last updated: 02 Dec 2024, 09:04 AM