This table applies to NBU’s listed Stage 2 rules. Check NBU’s current-status page for the stage before watering.
Hand watering and other Stage 2 limits
A hand-held hose, bucket, drip irrigation system or soaker hose that does not spray water into the air may be used on any day before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m. That any-day allowance does not extend sprinkler use beyond the assigned weekly day. NBU also says decorative outdoor fountains are prohibited unless they run entirely on reclaimed water, and water waste is prohibited year-round.
NBU gives foundations a separate allowance: up to two hours on any day during permitted watering times. It specifies a hand-held hose, or a soaker hose or drip system placed within 24 inches of the foundation that does not spray water above the ground. The placement and two-hour limit matter if you are using that allowance outside your assigned sprinkler day.
When a surcharge could appear
NBU says Stages 0 through 2 have no drought surcharge. Its updated plan, which the utility says the New Braunfels City Council approved Sept. 28 and put into effect Oct. 1, sets surcharge rules for Stages 3 through 5. Those charges are tied to higher water use during a declared severe drought stage; they are separate from NBU’s regular water rates.
The plan lists a Stage 3 surcharge of $4.18 per 1,000 gallons above the applicable threshold. For Stage 4, it lists $4.89 per 1,000 gallons. The plan’s threshold table distinguishes domestic use from a separate irrigation meter: for Stages 3 and 4, it lists 12,000 gallons for domestic use and 6,000 gallons for irrigation use. A customer with one meter should read NBU’s one-meter explanation alongside those figures; NBU says up to 12,000 gallons a month can be used for indoor needs and irrigation before a surcharge applies at those stages.
Stage 5 keeps the $4.89-per-1,000-gallon surcharge but changes the thresholds in NBU’s table: it lists 6,000 gallons for domestic use and says all irrigation use is surcharged. NBU says customers using less than 6,000 gallons of household water a month will not be affected by drought surcharges. These are future-stage rules, not a charge imposed by the Stage 2 status shown on the preserved page.
Check the stage before you water
Drought stages can change. Before setting a sprinkler timer, check NBU’s Current Conservation Stage page for the declared stage, permitted hours and address schedule. For the surcharge thresholds and meter distinctions, use NBU’s Drought Contingency Plan page. This guide covers NBU customers; it does not establish the rules for every utility or address in Comal County.
