All residents under one-day-per-week watering restrictions 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Modified Phase II “Severe” Water Shortage due to dry conditions throughout the region, which requires all residents, including those on private wells, in the cities and counties listed below to follow one-day-per-week watering restrictions.

The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties; the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County; and the portion of Gasparilla Island in Charlotte County from Feb. 8, 2026, through July 1, 2026.

The District received below average rainfall during its summer rainy season and currently has a 13-inch regional rainfall deficit compared to the average 12-month total. In addition, water levels in the District’s water resources, such as aquifers, rivers and lakes, are continuing to decline and many are below normal. Public water supplies in the Tampa Bay area are lower than expected at this time of year.

Outdoor water use accounts for more than 50 percent of water consumed by households and residents should know and follow their local watering restrictions. Residents should check with their city or county for their allowable day and times as many have different schedules or stricter hours in effect. Below is the standard schedule:

• 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*, water only on Friday
  • * and locations without a discernible address
• Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, properties under two acres in size may only water before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, 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 any day and any time.

Other restrictions listed in the Modified Phase II Water Shortage Order include:

• Annual pressure washing or in preparation for painting and sealing is allowed.
• No HOA or other entity shall enforce deed restrictions or other community standards requiring an increase in water use, including replacement of plant material to meet aesthetic standards or pressure washing.
• Car washing at home (non-commercial) is only allowed on your lawn watering day.

• Aesthetic fountains are limited to eight hours a day.

  The order also requires local utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing water shortage restrictions, including reporting enforcement activity to the District. The District continues to monitor the drier-than-normal hydrologic conditions and we are coordinating with our utility and regional water supply partners such as Tampa Bay Water and the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority.

For additional information about the Modified Phase II Water Shortage Order, visit the District’s website WaterMatters.org/Restrictions. For water conserving tips, visit WaterMatters.org/Water101.

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to have near to below-freezing temperatures beginning tonight and lasting throughout the week. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District advises residents who live near Plant City and Dover who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps before temperatures dip.

During a freeze or near-freezing temperatures, water is pumped to protect crops and fish farms, causing aquifer levels to temporarily drop. Once aquifer levels fall below a well’s pump level, the pump can burn out if it is not shut off manually or automatically by a low-pressure shut-off device. An electrical switch located on or near the well can turn off most pumps.

Residents should wait until the temperatures warm up and water levels begin to recover before turning their pumps back on. Residents should consult their local well contractor for questions about restarting their pumps.

To report a dry well, visit WaterMatters.org or contact the District’s Regulation Division at (813) 985-7481.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve in Marion County will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Jan. 27-29.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 25 permits for these hunts have been sold.

Hálpata Tastanaki Preserve is located at 15430 SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

The District only allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds unacceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests and swamps, as well as pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous and feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. In fact, they can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida and are believed to have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 300 pounds and travel in herds of several females and their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Jan. 27-29.

Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 30 permits for these hunts have been sold.

The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14301 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on District lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

The District only allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds unacceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests and swamps, as well as pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous and feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. In fact, they can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida and are believed to have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 150 pounds, measure over 5 feet in length and travel in herds with their offspring.

For more information, please call the District’s Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Service Office, located at 7601 U.S. Highway 301 North. 

To view the Governing Board meeting online, click on the live video stream link. The video stream link becomes active and the live video feed begins approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.

Public comment will be taken only at the meeting location. Public input for issues not listed on the published agenda will be heard shortly after the meeting begins.

The meeting agenda and materials are posted one week before the meeting and can be found online at WaterMatters.org by clicking on the “Meeting & Events Calendar.” 

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to have near to below-freezing temperatures Thursday evening and Friday morning. There is a chance the area also could experience below-freezing temperatures Sunday evening and Monday morning so residents should continue to monitor local weather reports.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District advises residents who live near Plant City and Dover who have well pumps without automatic cutoff switches to turn off the pumps before temperatures dip.

During a freeze or near-freezing temperatures, water is pumped to protect crops and fish farms, causing aquifer levels to temporarily drop. Once aquifer levels fall below a well’s pump level, the pump can burn out if it is not shut off manually or automatically by a low-pressure shut-off device. An electrical switch located on or near the well can turn off most pumps.

Residents should wait until the temperatures warm up and water levels begin to recover before turning their pumps back on. Residents should consult their local well contractor for questions about restarting their pumps.

To report a dry well, visit WaterMatters.org or contact the District’s Regulation Division at (813) 985-7481.

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Brian Aungst Jr. to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. Aungst represents Pinellas County. 

Aungst, of Clearwater, is an attorney and shareholder at Macfarlane Ferguson and McMullen, P.A. Aungst earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and telecommunications and his juris doctor from the University of Florida. Aungst is appointed to a term ending March 2026.

The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to manage the water and related resources of west central Florida to meet the needs of current and future water users while protecting the environment.