October 1 Came and Went. Your Watering Restrictions Are Still Here.
Updated: Oct 6
If you expected lawn-watering limits to lift on October 1, they did not. On September 22, 2026, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or SWFWMD, extended the Modified Phase III water shortage through March 31, 2027. The restrictions did not change. Only the end date did.
Why the order was extended
SWFWMD reports a 15.4-inch regional rainfall deficit for the 12 months through August 2026. Tampa Bay Water's C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir held 7.87 billion gallons on September 20, about half its storage capacity. The district continues to monitor drought conditions.
Check your local rule first
Your city or county rule comes first. Local governments can use different schedules or stricter hours than the district standard.
The district's standard once-per-week lawn-watering days are:
Addresses ending in 0 or 1: Monday
Addresses ending in 2 or 3: Tuesday
Addresses ending in 4 or 5: Wednesday
Addresses ending in 6 or 7: Thursday
Addresses ending in 8 or 9, or locations without a discernible address: Friday
Unless a local rule is stricter, the standard watering windows are 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Properties smaller than one acre may use only one of those windows. Properties of one acre or larger may water before 4 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
Low-volume watering of flower beds, shrubs, and other plants, such as drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or hand watering, is allowed on any day before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
The order applies to covered residents on utility water and private wells. Reclaimed water is subject only to voluntary district watering hours unless a local government or utility has its own restriction.
What to do today
Open the official local-rule lookup for your city or county.
Confirm your assigned watering day and allowed hours.
Update the irrigation timer if it still uses an older schedule.
Check each irrigation zone for leaks, broken heads, or water landing on pavement.
Keep the water-quality question separate
This is a water-supply restriction, not a drinking-water quality notice. The extension does not mean your tap water is unsafe or that something is wrong with your plumbing.
If your water changes in color, smell, taste, or pressure, investigate that change on its own evidence. Do not use the water-shortage order as a diagnosis.
March 31, 2027 is the current end date, not a promise that conditions will change on that day. Follow the current local rule unless the responsible authority updates it.
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