TAMPA, Fla. — Despite recent rainfall in the area, drought conditions continue across Tampa Bay, and local leaders warn that you could face fines if you don’t follow watering restrictions.

Hillsborough County officials say just because it’s rained in your neighborhood recently, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to water your lawn. They say it will take months of rainfall to refill the aquifers, and until then, they will be out actively on patrol watching for violators. 

“This is look from last year to this year and the watering warnings we’ve issued,” said Jon Paul Lavandeira as he compared graphs on his computer screen. Lavandeira is the division director of Hillsborough County Code Enforcement.  

“With these increased restrictions, we’re sending more violations out, we have more people out in the street, and more people are breaking the rules because we shrank the window of available time you can do it,” he said. | KNOW YOUR WATERING DAYS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

In February, the Southwest Florida Water Management District first implemented watering restrictions. Then, in April, SWFWMD declared a modified phase 3 “extreme” water shortage, limiting watering to one day per week, and only overnight. So far, Hillsborough County Code Enforcement has issued 1,991 warnings to people watering outside their assigned day and time.

“When something like this happens, we’re the boots on the ground to implement it and enforce it, and number two, to adjudicate it to hearing and it’ll be what it’ll be,” said Lavandeira.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the city’s code enforcement officers are also stepping up patrols, watching for watering violators. | KNOW YOUR WATERING DAYS IN TAMPA

“We do have enforcement teams out there who are working 24/7 and they have written 430 citations so far this year, and that’s a 30% increase from the same time last year,” she said.

Lavandeira says this isn’t about issuing as many fines as possible, it’s about conserving water. “You only have some many resources to go around and you’ve got to use it wisely so these ordinances and codes speak to just that.”

The current watering restrictions are in place through July 1. Lavandeira also warns that these restrictions do apply to people with wells, too, which he says is a common misconception.

Hillsborough County has issued 97 citations this year. The first fine is $100 and then it goes up in $100 increments, with a max fine of $500.