The Southwest Florida Water Management District is extending lawn-watering restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
The district voted to extend the restrictions until Sept. 1, according to a news release. Residents in the three counties will still be limited to watering their lawns once a week.
Current restrictions throughout Southwest Florida will also stay in effect until Sept. 1. Those apply to the following counties and areas:
- Citrus
- DeSoto
- Hardee
- Hernando
- Manatee
- Polk
- Sarasota
- Sumter
- Parts of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties
- Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County
- The portion of Gasparilla Island in Lee County
The district first issued watering restrictions in November 2023. Currently, there is a districtwide 12-month rainfall deficit of about 7.4 inches through May, according to the release.
READ MORE: Lawn-watering restrictions are extended across Tampa Bay amid a water shortage
In the Tampa Bay region, the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir is about 12.5 billion gallons below capacity, the release said. The 12-month rainfall total in the area is also below average.
The water shortage order bans “wasteful and unnecessary” water use but doesn’t change watering schedules for most counties. Twice-per-week watering schedules are still in effect except where local governments have enforced stricter measures.
The district also asked residents in the release to check if their irrigation systems, irrigation timer and rain sensor are working correctly.
Lawn-watering schedule for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas:
These days and times may vary if your city or county has a different schedule or stricter hours in place:
- If your address (house number) ends in:
- 0 or 1, water only on Monday
- 2 or 3, water only on Tuesday
- 4 or 5, water only on Wednesday
- 6 or 7, water only on Thursday
- 8 or 9, and locations without a discernible address, water only on Friday
- Properties under two acres may only water before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
- Properties two acres or larger may only water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
- Low-volume watering of plants and shrubs (micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, hand watering) is allowed at any day and any time
Citrus, Hernando, and Sarasota counties, as well as Venice and Dunedin, will continue their once-per-week watering schedules, according to the release.
