Modified Phase III "Extreme" Water Shortage Restrictions was approved by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Tampa Water Department is asking residents to follow the new drought restrictions to better conserve water resources, according to the City of Tampa.
Residents are asked to use as little water as possible especially watering outdoors. The City of Tampa said outdoor watering can account up to 50% of a household's total water usage.
Starting April 3, mandatory once-a-week watering restrictions will go into effect and are enforced year-round.
Under Phase III, lawn watering is prohibited between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. Hand-watering and micro-irrigation, such as watering plants and trees, is permitted on any day but is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pressure washing for aesthetic purposes is not allowed, and decorative fountains may only operate for up to four hours per day. No HOA or other entity can enforce deed restriction or other community standards requiring increase water usage.
City officials said the tighter restrictions are meant to strengthen existing conservation measures across the region. Enforcement will also increase, including around-the-clock patrols. Residents who violate the restrictions may receive a citation upon first observation.
Violations, in Tampa, can result in fines up to $500 and requires a mandatory court appearance.
Designated watering days are as followed:
-House numbers ending in 0 or 1, Mondays
-House numbers ending in 2 or 3, Tuesdays
-House numbers ending in 4 or 5, Wednesday
-House numbers ending in 6 or 7, Thursday
-House numbers ending in 8 or 9, Friday
-Mixed addresses & no address, Friday
Residents are encouraged to check watering systems for broken pipes and leaks. Residents can run sprinklers for no more than 10 minutes per zone, once a week.
Car washing is still allowed, but only on designated watering days.
The Tampa Water Department is also encourages customers to apply for the Tampa Bay Water Wise Rebate Program. This program offers a variety of water-saving rebates for qualifying properties. Rebates can offset cost of installing water-efficient appliances.
Participating water utilities include City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, City of New Port Richey, Pasco County, City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.
"On March 5, Tampa Bay Water had a press conference stating a rainfall deficit of 11.57 inches. Recovery from drought has many variables. I believe it is safe to say that the impacts will go on for some time even after the rain returns," said Julia Palaschak, the water conservation and efficiency team leader for City of Tampa Water Department.
Officials recommend residents continue monitoring water usage and stay updated on regulations to avoid citations and help conserve resources.