Here’s a friendly reminder from the folks at Hillsborough County Public Utilities: Pay attention to the county’s watering restrictions.
Residents living in unincorporated Hillsborough County are allowed to water their lawns twice a week, and those restrictions are effective throughout the year, according to a Hillsborough County news release.
The ordinance covers all sources of water, except for reclaimed water.
These are the watering rules:
- Lawn watering must be done before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m., and property owners can only water once on the designated days.
- Addresses ending in 0, 1, 2, or 3 can water their lawns on Mondays and Thursdays.
- Addresses ending in 4, 5, or 6 can water their lawns on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- Addresses ending in 7, 8, or 9 can water their lawns Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- Locations with no addresses, such as common areas, and locations with mixed addresses, such as office complexes, can water their lawns on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Hillsborough County Code Enforcement enforces the county ordinance for year-round watering restrictions.
Violations may result in citations starting at $100.
The release also provides this advice, from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science: A rule of thumb is to water the lawn when 30% to 50% of the lawn shows signs that the grass has folding leaf blades, a blue-gray color, or footprints are visible in the grass.
It’s also a good idea to check to make sure that the sprinkler system is working properly and that there are no leaks, broken sprinkler heads or misdirected spray patterns, the release added.
To report properties that are not adhering to watering restrictions, call Code Enforcement at (813) 224-8993.
Learn more online at HCFLGov.net/WaterRestrictions.
For more information on conserving water, visit HCFLGov.net/WaterConservation, or call the Water Conservation Hotline at (813) 663-3295.
Published October 21, 2020
