Watering restrictions in Pinellas County are set by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and implemented by local utilities. Restrictions change with drought conditions, so always check the current phase before assuming a schedule.
Current status (verified August 2026). SWFWMD's Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Order is in effect for the region. Under it, lawn irrigation in Pinellas County Utilities' service area is limited to one day per week, using potable, well, or lake water:
- North of State Road 580: even-numbered addresses Saturday, odd-numbered Wednesday.
- South of SR 580: even addresses Tuesday, odd addresses Thursday.
- Allowed hours: 12:01 to 4 a.m. or 8 to 11:59 p.m. (properties under one acre choose one window).
Hand-watering and micro-irrigation of beds, shrubs, and vegetables (not lawns) are allowed any day before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Reclaimed water customers are limited to two days per week. Enforcement is real: citations are mandatory at $193, doubling for repeat violations, with no warnings issued after April 17, 2026. unverified
Check your own utility. The schedule above applies to Pinellas County Utilities customers and unincorporated areas. St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and other municipal utilities publish their own implementation of the district order, which can differ in details. If you do not know your water provider, it is on your utility bill.
The regional plumbing. Tampa Bay Water, a regional wholesale utility, supplies drinking water to Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, and other member governments; it does not set residential watering schedules. SWFWMD (swfwmd.state.fl.us) declares shortage phases; utilities and county code enforcement write the tickets.
Year-round rules. Even outside declared shortages, the district maintains year-round conservation measures: irrigation is normally limited to specified days and prohibited during mid-day hours, rain sensors are required on automatic systems, and wasteful watering (broken heads spraying pavement) is always a violation.
Practical tips. New lawns and plantings typically qualify for a limited establishment-period allowance; check the current order's terms before assuming one. Report violations through county or city code enforcement. Because shortage phases change, cite swfwmd.state.fl.us or pinellas.gov/watering-schedule-and-rules for the live schedule rather than relying on printed material.