Hot temperatures, drying winds, and extended stretches of limited rainfall can lead to periods of drought conditions. In severe drought conditions, water restrictions on outdoor water use can become necessary. To best prepare landscape & garden plants for drought conditions, it is important to take steps early. Selecting drought tolerant plants, proper watering practices, and good horticulture practices can help adapt your landscape to drier conditions. The information below is designed to help increase the likelihood of your landscape making it through periods of drought and water restrictions.

Drought Response Plans

Water is a limited resource and everyone must do their part to conserve water. To protect water resources, the City of Wichita has a three stage drought plan for outdoor water use for all municipal water users. Even those property owners with private wells are asked to conserve water and follow recommended drought stage practices. The stages include:

Drought Stage 1 – Voluntary Water Conservation
Drought Stage 2 – Limited Outdoor Water Use With Mandatory Water Conservation Regulations
Drought Stage 3 – No Outdoor Water Use

Currently, municipal water users are under a Permanent Outdoor Watering Schedule.

Current Water Restrictions

The Permanent Outdoor Watering Schedule is now in effect, which includes mandatory outdoor water use restrictions for all City of Wichita and municipal water users. Here is what you need to know:

The permanent watering schedule went into effect Monday, September 15^th, 2025 and is currently ongoing.
Outdoor watering for all water users is restricted to 3 days a week.
Watering days of the week are assigned based on an odds/evens address system.
No outdoor watering is allowed between 10:00 am to 6:00 pm any day.
No outdoor watering is allowed on Mondays.
Water used from a private well is exempt, but similar water conservation is encouraged.