TAMPA, Fla. — The city’s water department is increasing patrols in areas with a high number of water violations and places with a concentration of high-water users.
Since the Southwest Florida Water Management district’s water restrictions took effect last year, Tampa officials say more than 430 customers have received citations for violating watering rules.
That’s nearly 30% more people than the same time last year.
The city said many of those violations happened in high-use areas where customers often exceed 10,000 gallons of water use a month.
Under SWFWMDs restrictions for the drought, residents are limited to using automatic irrigation systems once a week and just once that one day and only during designated watering hours.
The city said customers and businesses that break the rules could face fines of $100 or more.
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— Jane Castor (@JaneCastor) May 26, 2026
