TAMPA – The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted Sept. 22 to extend the Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage through March 31, 2027, due to ongoing drought conditions.
The decision requires all residents, including those on private wells, to continue following one-day-per-week watering restrictions with strict watering hours. This is the second extension to the Modified Phase III Water Shortage Order, and there are no changes to the restrictions.
The district received below-average rainfall during the 2025 and 2026 summer rainy seasons. The 12-month rainfall deficit through August 2026 was 15.4 inches. Area rivers and lakes, as well as public water supplies, have not been replenished due to the lack of summer rainfall. Tampa Bay Water’s C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir only had 7.87 billion gallons in storage as of Sept. 20, which is about half its storage capacity.
Unless a city or county already has stricter hours in effect, watering hours remain reduced from midnight 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. Properties one acre or larger may only water before 4 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
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.
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
- 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.
Outdoor water use accounts for more than 50% of water consumed by households. Residents are advised to check with their city or county for their allowable watering day and times as many have different schedules or stricter hours in effect.
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 surface water, potable or domestic well water use, including the 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.
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 continue their enforcement efforts, including responding to citizen complaints and monitoring water use through patrols or customer records. Utilities and other local enforcement officials are to continue issuing citations first without issuing a warning.
The district continues to monitor the drought conditions and is coordinating with its utility and regional water supply partners such as Tampa Bay Water and the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority.
The district also issued an additional emergency order to Tampa Bay Water this month to modify its permit to allow additional withdrawals from the Tampa Bypass Canal to ensure water supply availability during the ongoing drought. The order expires March 31, 2027.
On the web: WaterMatters.org/Restrictions
