All residents remain under one-day-per-week watering restrictions with stricter watering hours

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage due to ongoing drought conditions throughout the region, which requires all residents, including those on private wells, to follow one-day-per-week watering restrictions with stricter watering hours.

Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, watering hours are reduced to 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Properties less than one acre in size may only use one of these windows. 

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 April 3, 2026, through July 1, 2026.

The District received below average rainfall during its summer rainy season and currently has a 13.7-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 severely abnormal. Moreover, public water supplies are extremely low for 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 as well as conserve water wherever possible. 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 one acre or larger may only water before 4 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
• Low-volume watering of plants and shrubs (micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, hand watering) is allowed any day but is limited to before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

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

• Pressure washing 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 and you must use a hose with a shutoff nozzle.
• Aesthetic fountains are limited to four hours a day. The regular hours of operation can be selected by the owner but must be posted.

• Restaurants are required to only serve water upon request.

  Public Water Supply Utility Requirements:

  The order also requires local utilities to continue implementing water conservation efforts, including customer education about the current water shortage and ways to conserve water. Water utilities and other local enforcement officials must increase their enforcement efforts, including responding to citizen complaints and monitoring water use through patrols or customer records. Starting 14 days after the effective date of the water shortage order, utilities and other local enforcement officials are to issue citations first without issuing a warning.

  The District continues to monitor the drought 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.

  The District issued three emergency orders on Thursday, March 19, to ensure water supply availability during the ongoing drought:

• An emergency order was issued to Tampa Bay Water to lower the Middle Pool of the Tampa Bypass Canal from 12 feet to 10 feet to continue augmenting the City of Tampa’s Hillsborough River Reservoir. The order expires July 1, 2026.
• An emergency order was issued to the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to modify its diversion schedule to allow increased withdrawals from the Peace River. The order expires May 31, 2026.
• An emergency order was issued to the City of Punta Gorda to temporarily withdraw up to an additional 2.2 million gallons per day from Shell Creek to provide to the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority. The order expires July 1, 2026.

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

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual public meeting Friday, April 3 at 5:30 p.m. to share information about the Cape Haze Ecosystem Restoration Project in Charlotte County. This project is one of the largest coastal restoration projects the District has undertaken in the region.

Members of the public can join the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting, please click on this link to register https://bit.ly/CapeHaze. Use of the Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Teams. To join the meeting by telephone only, dial (786) 749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 902 412 271.

The project, expected to begin in late spring, is just south of the Rotonda West community and is estimated to take 24 months to complete. Located in a 410-acre portion of Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, the project construction will span approximately 80 acres.

The project’s goal is to restore the area back to its natural state, which helps improve natural systems and provide healthy habitat for native wildlife. This includes restoring wetlands, planting vegetation and filling in canals that were dug decades ago for a community that was never completed. This project is the third and final phase of hydrologic restoration in the Cape Haze Peninsula and will result in contiguously restored land across the peninsula, between the shorelines of West and East Coral Creeks.

In 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Habitat Conservation awarded the District a $3.7 million grant to help fund the Cape Haze Ecosystem Restoration Project. The District will contribute the remaining funds needed to complete the project.

To learn more about the Cape Haze Ecosystem Restoration Project, visit our website at WaterMatters.org/projects/Cape-Haze-Restoration-Project

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, March 24 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.” 

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation system controllers next weekend, which is the beginning of daylight saving time.

Sunday, March 8 is when we will turn our clocks ahead one hour. The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly to ensure that the systems operate consistently with the District’s Modified Phase II one-day-per-week water shortage restrictions. 

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. and properties two acres or larger may only water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

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. 

For additional information about water conservation, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Water101.

To ensure you’re tagging the correct water management district on social media, our username on X is @SWFWMD and on Facebook it’s @WaterMatters or @Southwest Florida Water Management District.

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the Tampa Bay area are expected to have near to below-freezing temperatures early Tuesday and Wednesday morning. 

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. Aquifer levels have recovered from the previous freeze event, however they are still lower than normal due to the current drought conditions.

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 Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville. 

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.”