Tampa Water Customers Remain Under Once-a-Week Irrigation Rules

Tampa residents remain under once-a-week lawn-watering rules after the regional Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Order was extended through October 1, 2026.

That date is the current extension date, not a guarantee that restrictions will end. Authorities may change the rules sooner if water-supply conditions improve or worsen.

What Tampa residents can do

Properties inside Tampa city limits must follow the address-based watering schedule. Residents should use the City of Tampa’s watering-day lookup to find the day assigned to their house number.

For properties under one acre, lawn and landscape irrigation is allowed only once on the assigned day, either from midnight to 4 a.m. or from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Watering is prohibited between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Tampa’s schedule assigns Mondays to addresses ending in 0 or 1, Tuesdays to 2 or 3, Wednesdays to 4 or 5, Thursdays to 6 or 7, and Fridays to 8 or 9. Mixed or unaddressed properties are also assigned Friday.

The schedule applies to properties using city water or well water. Rules outside Tampa city limits, including elsewhere in Hillsborough County, may differ.

Hand watering and microirrigation

Hand watering and microirrigation of non-lawn plants such as flower beds, shrubs, palms, trees and groundcover are allowed on any day, but only from midnight to 8 a.m. or from 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Those activities are prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Hand watering of lawns is different: It remains restricted to the property’s assigned watering day and permitted watering hours.

Car washing and pressure washing

Residential car washing at home is limited to the assigned watering day. The city also requires a hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle.

Annual pressure washing for aesthetic purposes is prohibited under the current restrictions. Pressure washing may still be allowed for preparation before painting or sealing and for certain necessary maintenance, such as removing hazardous mold or mildew that cannot be removed by dry methods.

Regional supply remains under pressure

Tampa Bay Water reported on July 8 that the Tampa Bay region remained in a Stage 3 Regional Supply Shortage. The agency said the region had a 12-month average rainfall deficit of 14.46 inches.

At the end of June, the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir held 2.28 billion gallons, or about 14.7% of its 15.5-billion-gallon capacity.

The regional shortage framework comes from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Tampa’s city guidance provides the address-based schedule and operational instructions for properties inside Tampa.

Check before watering

Residents should verify their address-specific day and hours before running irrigation, hand-watering a lawn, or washing a vehicle at home. The current once-a-week schedule and related restrictions remain in place through October 1, 2026, unless authorities revise them earlier.

Sources

• City of Tampa: My Allowed Watering Days and Hours
• Tampa Bay Water: July 8 Supply Update

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