In the City of Lubbock, sprinklers run on two assigned days a week, set by the last digit of your street address: 0, 3, 4 or 9 water on Monday and Thursday; 1, 5 or 6 on Tuesday and Friday; 2, 7 or 8 on Wednesday and Saturday. There is no Sunday irrigation, and hand watering is allowed any time. From April 1 to September 30, the City's guidance lists watering hours of midnight to 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. to midnight and about 1.5 inches per zone per week. From October 1 to March 31 the days stay the same, but you water only when it is above 35 °F. Check the current schedule and any drought stage at mylubbock.us before you set your controller.
Below is the schedule in a quick table, what changes by season, how to set a controller so the water actually reaches the roots, and what nearby towns do differently.
Lubbock watering days by address
The 2026 schedule below comes from local news reports that re-posted the City's spring and summer release (FOX34, April 1, 2026). The City's own page was the source those stories drew on, so treat mylubbock.us/irrigation as the final word.
| Last digit of address | Your two watering days |
|---|---|
| 0, 3, 4, 9 | Monday & Thursday |
| 1, 5, 6 | Tuesday & Friday |
| 2, 7, 8 | Wednesday & Saturday |
| Any address | No Sunday irrigation; hand watering any day, any time |
Two days a week works for a warm-season lawn because deep, less frequent watering is what turf needs anyway. If your controller is set to run every day, it is wasting water and training the grass to keep its roots shallow.
Spring and summer: April 1 to September 30
For the warm season, the City's guidance adds two things on top of the assigned days:
- Hours: midnight to 10 a.m., or 6 p.m. to midnight, on your assigned days.
- Amount: lawns "only need 1.5 inches of water per zone, per week," according to the 2026 release as reported by FOX34.
- Method: the City recommends cycle-and-soak, which means splitting each zone's run time into shorter cycles so water soaks in instead of running down the gutter.
Spring is the windiest season in Lubbock, so it pays to watch for spray drifting onto pavement whenever your zones run.
Fall and winter: October 1 to March 31
From October 1 through March 31 you keep the same two days, but the City asks you to irrigate only when temperatures are above 35 °F, without runoff, and not during rain (KCBD, October 2024). This is not just advice: Lubbock City Code §22.03.133(b)(2) makes it an offense to knowingly or recklessly irrigate "during periods of freezing weather or during precipitation events" (FOX34, January 2026). Ice on a sidewalk or street from a sprinkler is exactly what that rule is aimed at.
Dormant bermudagrass and buffalograss need very little water in winter. An occasional deep watering during a long dry spell, on a mild afternoon on your assigned day, is usually enough. The City also recommends winterizing your system and installing a rain and freeze sensor.
Why the schedule matters so much in Lubbock
NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport put average rainfall at 18.33 inches a year (NOAA annual normals). About 12.85 inches of that, roughly 70%, falls from April through September, and the average July high is 93.4 °F (NOAA monthly normals). Spread over a year, 18.33 inches works out to about a third of an inch per week, so a green summer lawn here depends on irrigation. Lubbock's supply comes from Ogallala groundwater well fields and surface lakes, including Lake Alan Henry, which is why the City asks everyone to use it carefully.
How to water well on your two days
Texas A&M AgriLife's bermudagrass guide, E-242, Maintaining Bermudagrass Lawns, gives a simple approach that fits the two-day schedule:
Water deeply
Wet the soil to about 6 inches, then wait for signs of drought stress, usually 5 to 10 days, before watering again. Deep, infrequent watering grows deeper roots.
Measure with tuna cans
Set a few empty cans around a zone, run it, and measure the water. That tells you how many minutes it takes to put down a given depth, so you can stay near the City's 1.5-inch weekly figure.
Cycle and soak
If water runs off before the target depth, split the run time into two or three shorter cycles with a break between them so it soaks in.
Match the grass
Buffalograss needs less than bermuda. AgriLife's Turfgrass Selection for Texas notes that buffalograss is easily invaded by weeds "when watered excessively," so do not water it on the same plan as a thirsty lawn.
Wind is the other Lubbock factor. Idalou's city guidance asks for sprinkler layouts "that limit the impact of the wind" and heads that emit "large drops of water rather than a fine mist" (City of Idalou). Misting heads and overspray onto the street are worth fixing even if you never change your schedule.
Sprinkler systems and the rain-sensor rule
State rules require that all new automatically controlled irrigation systems in Lubbock County include rain or moisture shut-off technology (30 TAC §344.62(j)). If a repair replaces the controller, a sensor has to be added too. If your system waters during storms, sprays the street or leaves dry arcs in the lawn, our sprinkler repair guide covers common problems and what a repair visit involves.
Texas irrigation rule: In Texas, sprinkler and irrigation installation, repair and maintenance for hire must be done by, or under the supervision of, a TCEQ-licensed Landscape Irrigator, whose LI license number must appear on their advertising. Homeowners may work on their own home's system. Ask for the LI number and verify it with TCEQ. Backflow testing requires a TCEQ-licensed backflow prevention assembly tester. This is general information, not legal advice.
Nearby towns have their own rules
- Wolfforth has its own drought contingency plan. Its 2023 Stage 1 rules set even addresses on Monday and Thursday, odd addresses on Tuesday and Friday, from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. (FOX34, 2023). The current stage is unconfirmed, so check with the City of Wolfforth. More on yards there: Wolfforth lawn care.
- Shallowater buys Lubbock water and follows the City of Lubbock's irrigation schedule (City of Shallowater). See Shallowater lawn care.
- Slaton, Idalou and Ransom Canyon: we did not find a current day-and-hour schedule, so check with your city or water provider.
Getting help with a thirsty lawn
A lawn that browns between your two watering days often has a coverage or soil problem, not a schedule problem. Our post on why bermuda turns brown or thin walks through the causes, and grass choices for Lubbock explains which turf gets by on less water. If you would rather hand off the work, Lubbock Lawn Care Pros connects Lubbock-area homeowners with independent local lawn care, landscaping, sprinkler and tree companies for free, no-obligation quotes, for anything from lawn maintenance to water-wise landscaping. See typical lawn care prices in Lubbock, or request a free quote.