Hillsborough County has received very little rain this year — just 4.40 inches in the first four months. The average rainfall for the county for the first four months is 10.93 inches.
With the lack of rainfall, all water users in unincorporated Hillsborough County are subject to year-round lawn watering restrictions. Lawn watering drives peak customer water demand, and the restrictions help to balance the demand and prevent low water pressure.
Allowable watering days and hours for most water sources, uses and methods:
• Street addresses ending in 0, 1, 2 or 3: Mondays and/or Thursdays.
• Street addresses ending in 4, 5 or 6: Tuesdays and/or Fridays.
• Street addresses ending in 7, 8 or 9: Wednesdays and/or Saturdays.
• Common areas with or without addresses, locations with no address and locations with mixed addresses: Wednesdays and/or Saturdays.
• No watering is allowed on Sundays.
Watering may occur in only one of the two designated watering periods per day, between midnight and 8 a.m., or between 6 p.m. and 12 Midnight, on the allowable watering days.
Customers using reclaimed water may water on any day of the week, either before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
The use of drinking or reclaimed water for watering lawns must not be wasteful and unnecessary. Irrigation systems should be operated in a prudent manner to ensure that water does not collect or run-off from the system does not occur. Irrigation should only be used as a supplement to rainfall.
Visit hcflgov.net/waterrestrictions or call 813-663-3295 to confirm your allowable watering days and hours and find additional rules concerning hand watering, watering of new sod and landscaping, car washing, pressure washing and using reclaimed water for irrigation.
Enforcement of Watering Days
Hillsborough County Code Enforcement officers are carrying out routine patrols. Violations of the ordinance can result in a warning and even a fine of up to $500. Violations can be reported by calling Hillsborough County’s water violations reporting hotline at 813-224-8993.
Irrigation Evaluations to Help Conserve Water
There are additional actions that residents can take to reduce water consumption.
The UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County Office offers free on-site and telephone irrigation evaluations for Hillsborough County residents and community and condominium associations that are high water users irrigating with metered water. This service provides education about the water conservation benefits of following Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles.
Extension staff can review rain or moisture sensors, irrigation system components and controller settings for proper setup and functionality. They can also perform a ‘wet walk’ of the property to identify irrigation inefficiencies, such as broken heads and misdirected sprays. To schedule irrigation evaluations, contact Paula Staples at 813-744-5519, ext. 54142, or staplesp@hcflgov.net.
