Tampa Bay watering limits tighten as Florida drought deepens
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
A drought has taken hold across Florida, with some areas experiencing extreme conditions.
Why it matters: Watering restrictions are in place across the Tampa Bay area as an ongoing rainfall deficit tests supply.
State of play: Tampa Bay residents can water their lawn only once per week under Southwest Florida Water Management District restrictions that began Sunday and run through July 1.
- The district advised residents to check with their city or county to find allowable watering days. Many governments — including Hillsborough, Pinellas, St. Petersburg and Tampa — determine watering schedules based on address.
- Watering should happen before 8am or after 6pm, per the restrictions. Car-washing is limited to your lawn-watering day. Wasteful uses, such as spraying down a driveway or allowing a hose to run unattended, are banned.
- Violations can result in fines of $100 or more depending on the government.
What they're saying: Outdoor watering accounts for up to half of residential water use, according to Tampa Bay Water, the supplier for much of the region.
- "With the driest months of the year still ahead of us, it's important for residents to make these changes now," chief science officer Warren Hogg said in a news release.
- "As we get to our typical spring dry season, we expect conditions to worsen."
The big picture: 95% of Florida is experiencing some level of drought conditions with the remaining 5% considered "abnormally dry," per last week's U.S. Drought Monitor update.
- That puts the Sunshine State under its most severe and widespread drought since 2012, meteorologists said.
Zoom in: Pinellas County and most of Hillsborough are under a severe drought, while Sarasota, Manatee and a small area of southeast Hillsborough are experiencing extreme drought conditions.
- The five-month period ending Feb. 2 has been the driest on record for several locations throughout the region, according to the National Weather Service Tampa Bay.
By the numbers: Tampa International Airport saw about 5 inches of rainfall during that stretch, roughly 10 inches lower than normal.
- St. Pete's 4.3 inches amounted to 11 inches below normal.
- Ruskin saw 3.4 inches of rain, a whopping 15 inches below normal.
What's next: Drought conditions are expected to persist across the state through at least April, per the Drought Monitor.