SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Sarasota County has issued 18 citations for violations of the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Modified Phase III water shortage order, according to county officials.
Sarasota County it issued five citations on April 27. That number had risen to 18 as of the morning of Wednesday, April 29.
The update comes after Manatee County reported issuing 11 citations on Monday, April 27. The water management district had directed Sarasota County and other affected counties to begin issuing citations without warning starting April 17.
The restrictions remain in effect across a broad stretch of Southwest Florida, including Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. They are scheduled to remain in place through July 1, 2026.
Manatee County issues 11 tickets for water restriction violations
Under the order, lawn irrigation is limited to once a week on designated days. Watering is only allowed from 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., though properties smaller than 1 acre may use only one of those windows.
In Sarasota County, addresses ending in 0 or 1 may water on Monday, 2 or 3 on Tuesday, 4 or 5 on Wednesday, 6 or 7 on Thursday, and 8 or 9 on Friday. Properties without a discernible address may water on Friday.
Low-volume watering of plants and shrubs is allowed daily before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Car washing at home is allowed only on scheduled lawn watering days and must be done with a hose equipped with a shutoff nozzle.
The district said the order was issued because of a 13.7-inch regional rainfall deficit over the previous 12 months, along with declining aquifer, river and lake levels.
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