Hillsborough County’s once-a-week lawn watering rule may be turning from temporary fix into permanent lifestyle. Yesterday, county commissioners took their first formal step toward locking in year-round limits on how often residents can sprinkle their lawns with drinking water.
The move targets homes that use potable water for landscape irrigation and would keep reclaimed water customers under their existing schedules. Commissioners directed county attorneys and staff to prepare changes to Chapter 111 of the county code and bring back draft language for a future vote. They framed the shift as a necessary push to conserve drinking water while regional supplies remain under stress.
What commissioners voted to do
The board’s motion instructs the County Attorney’s Office to draft an ordinance amendment that would cap potable-water lawn irrigation at one day per week, all year long, and return the proposal for a public hearing. The limits would not apply to reclaimed water, and the existing narrow exceptions for new plantings and maintenance would stay in place.
Commissioners did not set a firm deadline for when the proposal must return, as reported by WTSP.
Why now: drought and supply strain
The discussion comes on the heels of a Modified Phase II “Severe” Water Shortage declared in late January by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. That order put much of the Tampa Bay area under a one-day-per-week watering schedule that started Feb. 8 and runs through July 1…