How to request a watering variance from New Braunfels Utilities
Updated October 2026 · For customers inside New Braunfels city limits
A freshly leveled Bermuda lawn needs water every other day for the first few weeks, then twice a week for another two to four weeks, while the grass grows up through the new material. Under NBU's drought restrictions that isn't allowed on a normal schedule, so NBU lets you request a temporary variance. Here's how to do it so your lawn isn't waiting on paperwork.
Three things to know
- File it before the work starts. NBU's rule for new landscapes is that the request must be submitted before installation begins, and they take up to 30 days to review it. Submit the request the day you book your leveling with us.
- It's an online form. Go to NBU's Request for Variance page and choose the water variance form. You'll be asked for your service address and account details and a description of the request.
- Describe it as new material, not seeding. NBU says overseeding an existing lawn doesn't qualify. Lawn leveling installs a new layer of organic material over the turf, so describe the work that way.
Paste this into the description
Change the address, the date, and the bracketed week counts to match your job.
I am requesting a temporary watering variance for new landscape installation at [YOUR ADDRESS].
On [INSTALL DATE], Lemonade Lawn Care LLC (TDA Commercial Pesticide Applicator License #0841286) is leveling the lawn by installing a new layer of organic material (compost and sand) over the full lawn area. For the new material to establish, the contractor recommends watering every other day for the first [2–3] weeks, then twice a week for the following 2–4 weeks, for a total of approximately [6] weeks beginning on the install date.
I will water only in the early morning or evening hours and will return to my assigned watering day as soon as the establishment period ends. Thank you for your consideration.
Select the text above, copy it, and paste it into the form. If the form splits the request into several fields, the same sentences fit across them.
After it's approved
Keep the approval email. If a neighbor or NBU reports the watering, that's your proof. Once the establishment period ends, go back to your assigned day; a rooted Bermuda lawn needs less water than you'd think, and our fertilization program is built around NBU's normal schedule.
Questions about timing? Call us at (830) 730-8022 and we'll walk you through it.
Lawn leveling Top dressing Lawn care in New Braunfels
NBU can be reached at 830.629.8400 or at the Customer Solutions Center, 1488 South Seguin Ave. This page describes NBU's process as published on nbutexas.com in October 2026; NBU's rules control if anything here differs.
