If you live in the Las Vegas Valley, your irrigation controller needs to be reset four times a year to match the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) mandatory seasonal watering schedule. Setting it wrong is the single most common reason homeowners get hit with water-waste fees, and it is also one of the easiest problems to avoid. This guide walks you through the exact dates to change your controller, how to find your assigned watering group, how long each zone should actually run, and how to stay compliant so you never deal with an unexpected citation on your water bill.
Las Vegas sits in the Mojave Desert, where summer highs routinely climb past 110°F and winters can drop near freezing overnight. That huge temperature swing means a watering schedule that keeps your landscape healthy in July will drown it — and waste hundreds of gallons — in December. Adjusting your controller with the seasons is not just about following the rules; it is about giving your grass, trees, and plants exactly what they need at each time of year.
Every Las Vegas Valley address is assigned a watering group, labeled A through F. Your group determines which specific days of the week you are allowed to run your sprinklers. Find yours by entering your address on the SNWA watering schedule tool or by checking your monthly water bill, where the group letter is printed on your statement.
Irrigation Solutions of Las Vegas is here to serve our community, and one way we help is by providing clear information on how to keep your sprinkler system in compliance with the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) watering schedule. By following their schedule, you can avoid paying unwanted and unnecessary fees or dealing with violations — and keep your yard looking its best through every season.
Every zip code is assigned a watering group. To locate your schedule, enter your home address and zip code on the SNWA water schedule website, or find it on your monthly statement. If you live outside the city of Las Vegas — for example in Henderson, North Las Vegas, or Boulder City — the tool will redirect you to your respective water provider, since each municipality publishes its own version of the schedule. Once you submit your address, the result page shows:
It only takes a minute, and it is worth doing even if you think you already know your days, because group assignments can change when boundaries or accounts are updated.
In Las Vegas the seasons blend into each other, so it is hard to know when to change your controller based on the weather alone. A warm week in February does not mean summer has arrived. Instead of guessing, use these fixed start dates — and set a calendar reminder for each one so you never miss a transition:
Tip: also reset your controller’s clock when Daylight Saving Time starts in March and ends in November. This keeps your start times in the cool early-morning window, when evaporation is lowest and your landscape absorbs the most water. A controller that drifts an hour off can end up running during the hottest part of the day, wasting water and risking a violation.
Changing the days is only half the job — run times matter just as much. Watering too long causes runoff onto sidewalks and driveways, while watering too little leaves shallow roots that cannot survive the summer heat. Here is how to think about each system type:
Spray and pop-up sprinklers (lawns): Use the cycle-and-soak method. Instead of one long run, water in three short cycles of about 4 minutes each, spaced roughly an hour apart, on each assigned day. The breaks let water soak into the soil rather than sheeting off onto hard surfaces. This single change can dramatically cut runoff and give you a greener lawn on less water.
Drip irrigation (trees, shrubs, and plants): Drip systems need water far less often than spray. As a general rule, run drip once every 7 to 14 days for 30 to 90 minutes, depending on your emitter size, the type of plants, and your soil. Deeper, less frequent watering encourages strong root systems. Drip can run on any allowed day except Sunday.
As the weather warms in May, while nights are still cool, step your lawn watering up gradually rather than jumping straight to maximum frequency. Most desert landscapes need less water than homeowners assume, and a slow ramp-up prevents both waste and stress on the plants. Monitor how your yard responds and adjust from there.
Running your system outside your assigned days, or during the summer mid-day cutoff, can trigger a water-waste citation from your water authority. Households can also face an excessive-use charge if they exceed seasonal usage thresholds, which add up quickly during the hottest months. These fees are entirely avoidable with a properly programmed controller.
Resetting your controller each season — and inspecting your system for broken, clogged, or misaligned sprinkler heads while you are at it — keeps you compliant and protects your landscape investment. A single cracked head can spray water onto a wall or sidewalk for months before you notice it on your bill. A quick seasonal walk-through of every zone catches these problems early.
Irrigation Solutions of Las Vegas installs, repairs, and tunes irrigation controllers across the entire Las Vegas Valley, including Henderson, Summerlin, and North Las Vegas. Whether you want a seasonal programming check, a leak repair, or a full upgrade to a water-saving smart controller, we can help you stay compliant and keep your landscape thriving. Contact us or give us a call to get your system dialed in for the season.
No. Sprinkler watering is prohibited on Sundays everywhere in the Las Vegas Valley, every season of the year, for both residential and commercial properties.
Enter your home address and zip code on the SNWA watering schedule website, or check your monthly water statement. Your group is a letter from A to F.
From May 1 to August 31, watering is prohibited between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Water in the early morning or evening on your assigned days to minimize evaporation.
Four times a year — at the start of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Set calendar reminders for March 1, May 1, September 1, and November 1.
Yes. Watering restrictions apply to drip systems as well, including the Sunday prohibition. Drip simply needs to run far less frequently than spray sprinklers.