Water restrictions extended for 3 more months – WTSP
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
Southwest Florida Water Management District
The District’s Governing Board voted today to extend the Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage through Oct. 1, 2026, due to ongoing drought conditions throughout the region, which requires all residents, including those on private wells, to continue following one-day-per-week watering restrictions with strict watering hours.
Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, watering hours remain reduced to 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Properties less than one acre in size may only use one of these windows.
The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties; the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County; and the portion of Gasparilla Island in Charlotte County.
The District received below-average rainfall during its 2025 summer rainy season and at the time the Modified Phase III was declared, had a 13.7-inch regional rainfall deficit compared to the average 12-month total. The rainfall deficit for May 2026 was 11.4 inches. In addition, water levels in the District’s water resources, such rivers and lakes, are continuing to decline and many are severely abnormal. Moreover, public water supplies are extremely low.
