Overgrown Vegetation

If you are concerned about a location having the potential for overgrown vegetation please call Streets and Drainage Department at (830) 221-4030 between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday – Friday or use our Report an Issue tool. Please have the street address available when you call.

Limit the Mosquito Population

The best way to limit the mosquito population is to remove their breeding medium - standing water.  We strongly encourage residents to reduce mosquitoes around their homes, yards and businesses by doing the following:

• Get rid of old tires, can, bottles, buckets, drums and other containers in your yard or keep them empty of standing water
• Empty wading pools frequently and store them when not in use
• Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets
• Change water in bird baths and scrub them twice a week
• If you have pet water bowls, empty and refill them daily
• Clean clogged roof gutters and drain flat roofs
• Treat standing water that can't be drained with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), available at most home and garden stores (commonly called mosquito dunks)

Protect Yourself

• Make sure window and door screens are "bug tight"
• Be aware that the virus can be transmitted via sexual activity with an exposed person
• When outdoors wear protective clothing, use insect repellent with the active ingredient DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus to avoid mosquito bites

The City Does Not Spray for Mosquitoes

There are many reasons, but the most important ones are the questions about the effectiveness of the insecticide and the negative impact on the environment. Because of these concerns the City promotes the importance of preventing mosquitoes at their source and wearing insect repellent to prevent bites. Spraying chemicals in New Braunfels would not rid the city of mosquitoes. To kill a mosquito, the chemical has to actually make contact with the insect.  This may work for a swarm of mosquitoes in a wide-open space with no wind.  However, driving a truck down a neighborhood street to spray will do little to kill mosquitoes hiding in grass, bushes, trees and backyards. Not only is spraying costly and ineffective, there may be serious environmental impacts caused by the chemicals. Spraying also does nothing to affect the larva present in standing water.  The spraying of chemicals also has the potential of contaminating our waterways, killing the beneficial fish and organisms that feed on mosquito larva, adding harmful volatile organic chemicals to the atmosphere and providing a potential inhalation or ingestion hazard to residents who are in affected areas shortly after spraying occurs. Residents themselves are the best defense against mosquito infestation by using the steps outlined above. Thousands of mosquitoes can hatch from a single puddle of water that is stagnant for at least four days.

Public/Private Property

The City has an on-going program of treating standing water on public property with mosquito dunks where it is not feasible to drain the water. The City cannot treat standing water on private property, with the exception of abandoned property with due notice provided to the legal owners. If you are concerned about a location having the potential for mosquito breeding please call Streets and Drainage Department at (830) 221-4030 between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday – Friday or use our Submit a Request tool. Please have the street address available when you call. 

Road / Right of Way Excavation Permits

All entities desiring to excavate within city right of way must first complete, submit and obtain an approved Road / Right of Way Excavation Permit, in addition to any other permits required.

Emergency Repairs

In the event that an excavation must be made in response to emergency repairs (such as water main breaks and gas leaks), telephone notice must be given.

• During business hours - Call (830) 221-4030
• After hours, holidays, and weekends - Leave a message on voicemail

The completed Road/Right-of-Way Excavation Application must be submitted by the following business day.

Processing Fees for Credit/Debit Transactions - Effective May 1, 2021

Effective May 1, 2021 all credit/debit card transactions will incur a 2.75% processing fee paid directly to the merchant provider. To avoid incurring this fee, we encourage you to utilize one of our other payment options which includes cash, check or e-check.

Downloadable Resources

• Road / Right of Way Excavation Permit
• Instructions for Road / Right of Way Excavation Permit
• Traffic Advisory - Fillable Document
• Traffic Advisory - Example Document