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TAMPA, Fla. – The Southwest Florida Water Management District implemented new water management restrictions to start on Friday, April 3 until Wednesday, July 1.<\/p>\n
The goal is to reduce water use to help alleviate the burden of the drought. Florida went into the dry season after an already dry rainy season, making this drought worse.<\/p>\n
What we know:<\/p>\n
Michelle Hopkins, the regulation division director\u00a0with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, said many people will feel this impact starting with yards and landscaping.<\/p>\n
“Just reducing the hours of irrigation is just going to reduce the quantity of water that is used on your lawns,” Hopkins said.<\/p>\n
She said it will take a collective effort.<\/p>\n
“We do all have a part to play,” Hopkins said.<\/p>\n
READ: Firefighters get grasp on Hernando County fire that torched 120 acres<\/a><\/p>\n The water management board started with landscaping water because it said that is where 50% of homes’ water usage goes. You are allowed to water your yard or wash your car one day a week and your house number determines your day.<\/p>\n If your address (house number) ends in:<\/p>\n 0 or 1 only water on Monday2 or 3 only water on Tuesday4 or 5 only water on Wednesday6 or 7 only water on Thursday8 or 9 only water on FridayLocations with no discernible address means you can only water on Friday. <\/p>\n What they’re saying:<\/p>\n “Spreading that out so that you have those usages happening throughout the week and not all at one time,” Hopkins said.<\/p>\n Homes on an acre of land or less are allowed to water one time on your allowed day, either before 4 a.m. or after 8 p.m.<\/p>\n But people that have more than an acre can water twice in that time frame. If you are hand watering plants and shrubs you can do that daily.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS: New water restrictions for Southwest Florida starting this week<\/a><\/p>\n “Not watering during the hot part of the day, yes, reduces what you’re going to lose to evaporation,” Hopkins said.<\/p>\n Car wash businesses are not subject to the regulations.<\/p>\n Woodie’s Wash Shack\u00a0said they recycle about 70% of their daily water.<\/p>\n “We filter it through three different settling tanks to remove the solids. Then it goes through another filter, and it brings the water down to five microns,” said Alyson Carswell, the customer experience manager at Woodie’s Wash Shack. “Then we go through one last filter, and it sanitizes it.”<\/p>\n Why you should care:<\/p>\n She said water helps the environment.<\/p>\n “The recycling helps protect the natural resources, and it helps preserve for the future generations,” Carswell said.<\/p>\n It also helps the bottom line.<\/p>\n “It definitely helps with the cost because obviously we’re using less water,” Carswell said.<\/p>\n The next time you’re playing golf it also may look a little less green. Fairways and driving ranges can only be irrigated once a week and golf course greens and tee boxes three times a week.<\/p>\n You can find more information about the restrictions here<\/a>\u00a0and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Source: Information in this story comes from the Southwest Florida Water Management District\u00a0interviews done by FOX 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vlcsnap-2026-03-31-06h59m43s261.jpg\")
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