Find My Watering Days & Times

Year-round watering days and times for unincorporated Hillsborough County

Each property owner or manager shall voluntarily reduce water use and prepare for possible worsening conditions and more aggressive water shortage actions if conditions worsen. All water users have a duty to keep informed about the water use restrictions and other required actions applicable to them.

Watering days and times for unincorporated Hillsborough County

Know your watering days:

Days

Addresses ending in 0, 1, 2, and 3 - Monday and/or Thursday
Addresses ending in 4, 5, and 6 - Tuesday and/or Friday
Addresses ending in 7, 8, and 9 - Wednesday and/or Saturday
Locations with no address (common areas) and locations with mixed addresses (such as office complexes and shopping centers) are also Wednesday and/or Saturday

Prevent run-off from over watering and broken or misdirected sprinkler heads.

Recycle water where possible.

Follow your watering days to avoid fines by Hillsborough County Code Enforcement.

Times

All watering must be done either before 8 AM or after 6 PM on your allowable day(s).

Reclaimed water and other exemptions

This order affects all water use activities associated with lawn and landscaping in unincorporated Hillsborough County that use publicly supplied drinking water, well water, ponds, lakes, and streams. The use of reclaimed water for lawn and landscape use is exempt from this order.

Irrigation timers and rebates

Property owners should reprogram their automatic irrigation timers to adjust to their assigned two day a week schedule. Get free help with adjusting your automatic irrigation timer from a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program Coordinator by contacting Will Stone at (813) 744-5519 ext. 54133 or stonewi@hcfl.gov.

Check your eligibility to receive a rebate worth up to $250 for the installation of a qualified weather-based irrigation controller or soil moisture sensor, or alternatively, receive a device and installation free of charge, through the Tampa Bay Water Wise program.

You can visit HCFL.gov/WaterConservation for water conservation tips and information.

Rules

Follow these rules for watering.

Hand watering

Hand-watering and low-volume irrigation of plant material other than lawns or turfgrass may be done on any day and at any time.

New sod and landscaping

All watering of new sod and landscaping must be done before 8am and after 6pm. An irrigation system zone can only be operated if the new sod or plant material covers at least 50 percent of that zone.

New sod and landscaping may be watered on any day for the first 30 days
On days 31-60, new sod and landscaping may be watered approximately every other day: even-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
Odd-numbered addresses, locations with no address and locations with mixed addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday

Decorative fountains, car washing, pressure washing

The use of any fountain or water feature is allowed provided it is properly maintained and also recycles water, exclusively uses reclaimed water, or provides a necessary water quality benefit
Car washing is allowed using hoses equipped with self-canceling or automatic shutoff nozzles, sponges, and buckets
Pressure washing of sidewalks, driveways, patios and other impervious surfaces is allowed for public health and safety. Pressure washing should not be used to clean away materials that can be removed with a broom or other dry methods.

Reclaimed water

Use reclaimed water for irrigation any day of the week, but it is prohibited between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM
Use reclaimed water for irrigation of lawns, gardens, and individual plants
Do not allow ponding or run-off from your reclaimed water system

View the ordinance

Chemical applications

Irrigation for the purpose of watering-in fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides must be done during allowable watering days and times.

If a certified professional applicator has posted a temporary sign containing the date of application and the date(s) of needed watering-in activity, watering may occur on any day (within 48 hours of the time of chemical application) during allowable hours.

Other resources and tips

In addition to the information above, learn about alternative irrigation water source registration, water related ordinances, and wasteful and unnecessary use.

Alternative irrigation water source registration

Let Hillsborough County know you are using a private well or another alternative water source for irrigation at a residential or commercial property by completing a registration form.

Water use restrictions are subject to change in response to local and regional water supply conditions.

Wasteful and unnecessary use

The following wasteful and unnecessary water use activities are also prohibited for all water sources, at all times, and for all property owners:

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.
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 Southwest Florida Water Management District, water utility, or local government
Allowing water to be dispersed without any practical purpose to the water user
Allowing water to be dispersed in a grossly inefficient manner, regardless of the type of water use
Allowing water to be dispersed to accomplish a purpose for which water use is unnecessary or which can be readily accomplished through alternative methods without water use.

More information

For more detailed information on water restrictions visit the following websites:

Southwest Florida Water Management District
Tampa residents/businesses - City of Tampa
Plant City residents/businesses - City of Plant City
Temple Terrace residents/businesses - City of Temple Terrace

For questions about Hillsborough County's water use restrictions, call the Water Conservation Team at (813) 663-3295, during regular business hours.

For a recorded summary of water use restrictions, call the Watering Restriction Information Line at (813) 275-7094.

For questions about a citation or warning, call Code Enforcement at (813) 274-6600, during regular business hours.

Water use restrictions enforcement

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement regularly enforces county ordinances for year-round watering restrictions. Observed violations may result in citations starting at $100.

To report properties which are not following adhering to watering restrictions, call the Water Conservation Hotline at (813) 224-8993 or report online. Before reporting, be sure to get:

the address where the watering is occurring
the date and time of the violation
the type of violation (irrigation at wrong date/time, broken sprinkler head, watering on the road/sidewalk)

Find out more about water restrictions violations and appeals.