The Southwest Florida Water Management District just declared a severe water shortage and voted to impose Phase II drought restrictions. These rules stay in effect until July.
If you live in Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, or Sumter counties, or parts of Charlotte, Highlands, Lake, the City of Dunnellon, The Villages, or Gasparilla Island, you’re included. Doesn’t matter if you use city water or have your own well: everyone’s in.
Starting February 8 and running through July 1, you can only water your yard one day a week. The schedule goes by your street address:
Addresses ending in 0 or 1: Monday
2 or 3: Tuesday
4 or 5: Wednesday
6 or 7: Thursday
8 or 9, and places without a clear address: Friday
There are time limits, too. If your property’s under two acres, water only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. For two acres or more, stick to before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. If you use micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, or just a watering can, you can water any time.
The problem is simple: last summer’s rainy season fizzled. The district saw roughly 13 inches less rainfall than usual over the past year. Aquifers, lakes, rivers—they’re all running low. Michelle Hopkins, who heads up the district’s Regulation Division, put it plainly: “We’re moving into the dry season already behind, and the outlook says rain will keep coming up short. That’s why we’re stepping up restrictions now.”
Sarasota County’s had similar rules since 2023. Manatee County now joins them. County officials stress that the one-day-per-week watering rule applies to everyone, private wells included.
There are other restrictions, too. Homeowners associations can’t force you to water more for your lawn’s appearance or require extra pressure washing. Wash your car at home only on your watering day. Fountains get eight hours per day, max. Pressure washing is limited to once a year—unless you’re prepping to paint or seal.
Manatee County’s code enforcement officers will be out watching for violations. Christian Collins from the county utilities department says the team is ready: “We’ve got about 20 officers keeping an eye out—not just for water rules, but for all code violations. They’ll be part of the effort.”
Penalties start with a warning. Second violation is a $100 fine, third jumps to $250, and fourth or more means $500 each time. Local utilities must report back to the district and keep working with regional water partners.
You can find all the details at mymanatee.org/waterrestrictions. For tips on saving water, check out WaterMatters.org/Water101.
