Tampa Bay Area water officials consider drought restrictions

TAMPA, Fla. - As the drought wears on in the Bay Area, regional water officials are considering usage cutbacks on irrigation systems.

On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District will vote on limiting the time when residents can water their lawns with sprinkler systems to just one day per week.

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Water officials said reducing irrigation system use is the most effective way to conserve water.

"Saving water extends our water supplies by leaving more in our reservoir and in the environment, so we’re asking residents to conserve while we’re in the drought. The biggest savings can come from cutting back on outdoor watering, which can account for 50% use at home," said Brandon Moore, public communications manager for Tampa Bay Water.  "It’s really one of the driest times that we’ve seen in decades, so really if there’s a time to conserve it’s now."

November is typically the region’s driest month, but without any rain so far this month, the Tampa Bay Area has plunged even further into record rainfall deficits.

Tampa is down more than 15 inches from average annual rainfall totals. Sarasota is off by nearly 23 inches compared to our usual time this year.

Much of the Bay Area is experiencing extreme drought conditions, according to NOAA.

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"That's like a whole month of summer rainfall didn't happen this year and that's significant," said Tampa Bay Water Chief Science Officer Warren Hogg.

The Tampa Bay region is limited to watering no more than twice per week. Watering restrictions are set by SFWMD and enforced locally.

Lawn watering days and hours vary by region and municipality. To learn more, click here.