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3-Day-a-Week Watering Restriction
Residents and businesses with an odd-numbered street address may water lawns and landscapes on Mondays, Wednesdays and/or Saturdays, only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
Residents and businesses with an even-numbered street address no street address or those that irrigate both even and odd addresses within the same zones, which may include multi-family units and homeowners associations, may water lawns and landscapes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and/or Sundays, only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
Applies to All
- No irrigation, except as noted, on any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Irrigation using reclaimed water, rain harvesting systems and various low-volume methods — such as micro-irrigation, container watering and hand watering with a hose and automatic shut-off nozzle — may be conducted at any time.
- Additional watering days are provided following the installation of new lawns and landscaping for up to 90 days.
- The District may grant variances for users of “smart” irrigation technologies described in Senate Bill 494, passed by the Florida Legislature in 2009.
Background
The Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Measures are designed to curb water use in South Florida — the highest in the state at an estimated 179 gallons per person per day. Outdoor irrigation accounts for up to half of all potable water produced within the region. Up to 50 percent of the water applied to lawns is lost to evaporation and runoff with no benefit to the landscape.
The District estimates implementation of the Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Measures may reduce overall potable water demand by 5 to 10 percent, based on a recent SFWMD study of regional demand reductions experienced during the 2007-2009 water shortage. Under a two-day-a-week watering schedule, the 44 largest utilities in the District saved an estimated 138 million gallons of water per day over a six-month period during the emergency water shortage.
The Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Measures are a component of the District's Comprehensive Water Conservation Program, approved by the Governing Board in September 2008 to encourage more responsible use of water resources throughout South Florida. Numerous stakeholders worked with the District to define specific regulatory, voluntary and incentive-based programs and in-depth education and marketing plans that will help foster a year-round conservation ethic.
For details on the Comprehensive Water Conservation Program and water-saving tips, please visit www.savewaterfl.com.
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