Tampa’s water use restrictions have been in place and enforced year-round since 1992. Restrictions are subject to change in response to water supply and regional drought conditions. The Tampa Water Department publishes updates and changes to local water restrictions in media releases, Twitter, Facebook, Alert Tampa, Nextdoor, and utility customer billing inserts.
For watering restrictions enforced outside of the City of Tampa:
What is My Watering Schedule?
The following schedule applies to properties inside Tampa city limits whose lawns and landscapes are watered with either city water or well water.
Watering Schedule (Once-Per-Week)
| Address (house number) ending in... | Allowed Watering Day |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Monday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday |
| 8 or 9 | Friday |
| Mixed Addresses* & No Address** | Friday |
Example
Managing Entities
No managing entities, such as homeowner associations (HOA) or property managers, can enforce any deed restrictions that are inconsistent with current water use restrictions.
Residents complying with the one-day-per-week watering restrictions shall not be penalized by fine, lien, or any other form, for the presence of dry-appearing turfgrass on their property by the City of Tampa or any other entity.
Additional Water Use Restrictions
Watering is not permitted between 8am and 6pm on any day. Watering is permitted between midnight and 8am OR between 6pm and midnight, only once on your designated day.
Irrigation must be curtailed when sufficient rain has occurred in the last 24 hours. Florida law requires all automatic irrigation systems to have a working rain-sensing device. Tampa Water Department customers can request a free rain sensor to connect to their irrigation controller.
Regular Maintenance & Power Outages
Residents are asked to check their irrigation systems to ensure they are working properly. This means testing and repairing broken pipes and leaks and fixing damaged or tilted sprinkler heads.
You are allowed to run your sprinkler system to check for leaks no more than 10 minutes per zone, once a week. However, you must be visible from the street while you are running the system to avoid a citation.
Residents should also check their irrigation controller to ensure the settings are correct and the rain sensor is working properly, especially after a power outage. Failure to check your system settings after a power outage may cause you to receive a water use citation from watering on the wrong day and time.
Hand watering
- Hand watering and micro-irrigation of landscapes, such as flowering plants, vines, shrubs, palms, trees, ornamental grasses and groundcover (other than lawn/turfgrass) is allowed any day and any time.
- Hand watering of lawns is restricted to the designated day and time.
- All hoses must be fitted with an automatic shut-off garden hose nozzle. Tampa Water Department customers can request a free outdoor water conservation kit which includes this nozzle.
Watering a new lawn?
Follow this easy, research-based 30-day establishment schedule recommended by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).
- The prohibited hours of 8am - 6pm remain in place even when watering-in new sod.
Chemical treatments
Irrigation for the purpose of watering-in of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, must also comply:
- If applied by a licensed professional, you may follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Note: If you received a citation and you believe you met this exemption, please provide receipts of application along with your citation ID number to WaterPatrol@TechstaffTB.com.
- If applied by someone other than a licensed professional, then watering-in of chemical treatments shall be restricted to the allowed days and hours.
- The prohibited hours of 8am - 6pm remain in place even when watering-in chemical treatments.
- The City of Tampa Fertilizer Ordinance establishes a restricted period from June 1 - September 30, when the application of lawn and landscape fertilizer containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus is not allowed.
Car washing
- Car washing is currently allowed; however, it is recommended this be done above a lawn if possible so it can benefit by soaking up the water and avoid off-site discharge.
- All hoses must be fitted with an automatic shut-off garden hose nozzle. Tampa Water Department customers can request a free outdoor water conservation kit which includes this nozzle.
Wasteful and unnecessary uses of water
The following wasteful uses of water are prohibited:
- Allowing water to flow from an unattended hose, unless that water is discharged from a functional water-to-air air conditioning unit, residential reverse osmosis treatment system, or similar device.
- Hand watering a lawn on an otherwise restricted day or more than once a day, except when used for spot treatment.
- Hosing-down a driveway or other impervious surface to remove grass clippings or other debris that can be removed with a broom or other dry methods.
- Hosing-down a building or other structure to remove cobwebs or other material that can be removed with a broom or other dry methods.
- Allowing water to flow from a broken sprinkler head, outdoor faucet, or other malfunctioning plumbing or irrigation system component, after receiving verbal or written notice of the malfunction from the District, water utility, or local government.
Reclaimed water
Reclaimed water used for irrigation is generally not subject to our water use restrictions; however, customers must not use it in a wasteful and unnecessary manner.
Enforcement
Citations are issued on first observance by a water use enforcement patroller. Violating water use restrictions in Tampa may result in fines up to $500 and a mandatory court appearance.
Additional Resources
For rules and specific information on water use restrictions* currently in place in Tampa, please refer to the City of Tampa Code Ordinance Section 26-97 and Chapter 40D-22 of the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). For rules and specific information on water shortage orders and plans of action, please refer to Chapter 40D-21, F.A.C.
*Note: Local water use restrictions may be stricter than state requirements.