Last updated:
Modified Phase III: Tampa schedule and HOA boundary
| Address ending | Allowed lawn day |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Monday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday |
| 8 or 9; mixed or no address | Friday |
Hours: 12:01–4 a.m. or 8–11:59 p.m., once on the assigned day; a property under one acre uses one window. Hand watering and microirrigation of non-turf plants are allowed any day before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. The City states that no HOA, property manager, or other entity may enforce a deed restriction or standard that conflicts with current water restrictions; dry-appearing turf complying with the once-weekly rule may not be penalized. This is a rule summary, not legal advice.
Sources checked August 31, 2026: City of Tampa watering days and hours and SWFWMD District Water Restrictions.
Quick answer: As of August 31, 2026, Tampa and Hillsborough County are under a SWFWMD Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage, in effect through October 1, 2026. Landscape irrigation is limited to one day per week, assigned by your address number, and only during the cooler windows of 12:01–4 a.m.
or 8 p.m.–11:59 p.m. — there is no watering from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. (properties under one acre pick one window). Low-volume micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, and hand watering are allowed any day, but only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Since mid-April, local utilities issue citations without a prior warning. Because the order is currently extended through October 1, 2026, confirm the current phase and your assigned day at watermatters.org or tampagov.net before you set a schedule. Source: Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). Updated 2026-08-31.
Under the 2026 Modified Phase III order, Tampa-area lawns may be watered only one day per week, and your day is set by your address number (check your specific day with your utility or at watermatters.org). On that day, in-ground sprinklers may run only between 12:01 and 4 a.m.
or between 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.; properties under one acre choose a single window. For City of Tampa water customers the once-a-week limit is not temporary: the City has enforced once-per-week watering year-round since 1992 under its own ordinance, so Tampa customers stay on one day per week even after this District order lifts. What the Modified Phase III order changes for them is the hours — no watering between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. In unincorporated Hillsborough County and other utilities, the District order is what tightens the day count during a shortage. Hillsborough County publishes a lookup that returns the watering days and hours for a specific address, which is the fastest way to settle it for an unincorporated property: Find My Watering Days & Times. The rule applies to all sources, including private wells, for lawn irrigation.
| Method | Allowed day | Allowed hours |
|---|---|---|
| In-ground / hose-end sprinklers | 1 assigned day/week (by address) | 12:01–4 a.m. or 8 p.m.–11:59 p.m. |
| Micro-irrigation, soaker hose, hand watering | Any day | Before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. |
| Daytime irrigation (4 a.m.–8 p.m.) | Not allowed | — |
Source: SWFWMD Modified Phase III water shortage order. Updated 2026-08-31.
City of Tampa: once-a-week watering is permanent, not a drought measure
If the City of Tampa is your water provider, one watering day per week is your permanent, year-round schedule. The City has had water use restrictions in place and enforced year-round since 1992, and the once-a-week schedule rests on the City’s own ordinance (Tampa Code Section 26-97, with Chapter 40D-22 of the Florida Administrative Code), not on any District shortage order.
So the day count does not change when the SWFWMD order lifts. When the Modified Phase III order ends, City of Tampa customers remain at one watering day per week. What the shortage order adds on top is tighter hours and extra limits, set out below. Outside the city limits — unincorporated Hillsborough County, Temple Terrace, Plant City and other utilities — the District order is what drives the once-weekly day count during a shortage, so those customers should confirm their own schedule with their own utility. The District says the same thing: always refer to your city or county rules first.
Sources: City of Tampa, My Allowed Watering Days and Hours and City of Tampa Water Conservation (“The City of Tampa has once-a-week watering restrictions year-round”). Checked 2026-08-31.
What is SWFWMD’s Modified Phase III rule for Tampa?
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), which covers Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay region, declared a Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage effective April 3, 2026 and since extended through October 1, 2026 in response to severe regional drought. The core rule is the move from the normal schedule to one watering day per week within the allowed nighttime and pre-dawn hours. The order also prohibits wasteful practices and ties enforcement to local utilities and code officials. Like all SWFWMD shortage orders, it has a set window and can be extended, modified, or lifted as conditions change, so the phase in place today is a live number worth re-checking.
Source: SWFWMD. Updated 2026-08-31.
When can I hand-water or use drip in Tampa?
Any day of the week, but only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Under Modified Phase III, low-volume methods — micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, and handheld hose watering — are exempt from the one-day schedule because they apply water efficiently to roots rather than spraying broadly.
That makes them the practical, rule-compliant way to keep new plantings, vegetable gardens, containers, and stressed spots alive during the shortage. A drip or micro-spray zone on a timer set for early morning or evening is the most restriction-friendly setup for a Tampa landscape right now.
Source: SWFWMD. Updated 2026-08-31.
New lawns and plants have a 60-day establishment period. During days 1–30 they may be watered any day during the City’s permitted hours. During days 31–60, even addresses may water Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday and odd addresses Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, also during permitted hours. Keep a written schedule; this exception does not allow watering during prohibited hours. Source: City of Tampa; SWFWMD. Updated 2026-08-31.
How much should I water St. Augustine grass in Tampa?
A Tampa lawn generally needs about ½ to ¾ inch of water per application, applied deeply on your assigned day, with summer rainfall often supplying much of what the lawn needs. St. Augustine, the dominant Tampa turf, is not especially drought-tough, so the keys under a one-day schedule are watering deeply in the allowed window, mowing tall (3.5–4 inches) to shade and protect roots, and letting the lawn show you when it is thirsty (folded blades, a bluish cast) rather than watering on a fixed habit. During the summer rainy season, a working rain sensor — required on Florida irrigation systems — should shut the system off after storms so you are not watering on top of the rain.
Source: UF/IFAS; SWFWMD. Updated 2026-08-31.
What water restrictions is Tampa under right now? A SWFWMD Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage, in effect through October 1, 2026: one watering day per week by address, only 12:01–4 a.m. or 8 p.m.–11:59 p.m. Confirm the current phase at watermatters.org.
How many days a week can I water my lawn in Tampa? One day per week under the current order, assigned by your address number, during the allowed pre-dawn and late-evening hours.
Can I hand-water during the Tampa restrictions? Yes. Micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, and hand watering are allowed any day, but only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Is there an exemption for new sod in Tampa? Yes. New lawns and plants have a 60-day establishment period: any day of the week during days 1 to 30, then three days a week during days 31 to 60, with even addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and odd addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. A written schedule of establishment watering must be kept, and the allowance does not permit watering during prohibited hours. Low-volume and hand watering remain available on top of it.
When do Tampa’s water restrictions end? The Modified Phase III order is extended through October 1, 2026, and can be extended, modified, or lifted depending on drought conditions and the summer rains.
What happens if I water on the wrong day? Since mid-April 2026, local utilities and code officials may issue citations without a prior warning, so it pays to know your assigned day and the allowed hours.
- Tampa Fertilizer Rules — the June 1–Sept 30 summer ban
- Tampa Grass Types — St. Augustine, Zoysia, and salt-tolerant paspalum
- Tampa Lawn Care Guide — heat, humidity, fungus, and chinch bugs
- Tampa Landscaping Calendar — year-round zone 9b tasks
If you are here because the lawn is thinning on a once-a-week schedule, it is worth knowing that one watering day is enough when a system delivers evenly and never enough when it does not. Our irrigation page covers how to run a coverage check and confirm the rain sensor is working, and lawn mowing and care explains the routine that suits a single permitted day.
Tampa Watering Rules: Data
Current rules as observed, with every change we have recorded since tracking began. Source of record: SWFWMD / City of Tampa / Hillsborough County.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Monday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday |
| 8 or 9; mixed or no address | Friday |
| In-ground / hose-end sprinklers | Allowed lawn day: 1 assigned day/week (by address); 12:01–4 a.m. or 8 p.m.–11:59 p.m. |
| Micro-irrigation, soaker hose, hand watering | Allowed lawn day: Any day; Before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. |
| Daytime irrigation (4 a.m.–8 p.m.) | Allowed lawn day: Not allowed; — |
Change log
| First observed | Status | Rules recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-31 | current | Modified Phase III, one watering day per week by address; City of Tampa customers remain once-weekly under city code regardless of the order |
Last checked: 2026-08-31. A new row is added only when the observed rules change, so this log records what changed and when we saw it.
Cite this: “Tampa Watering Rules: Data,” updated 2026-08-31, https://tampaprolandscape.com/tampa-watering-restrictions/#watering-rules-dataset