Guides
SWFWMD Water Restrictions 2027: End Date and What to Recheck
The District's one-day watering order runs through March 31, 2027. Here is what that date does and does not promise, and what to check before your controller changes.
The SWFWMD water restrictions run through March 31, 2027: lawns across the Southwest Florida Water Management District, including Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, may be watered one day a week under the Modified Phase III order. That date is the order’s current end, not a promise. The District’s Governing Board has extended this order twice, and the City of Tampa and Pasco County kept one-day watering under their own rules the last time an order ended.
What do the SWFWMD restrictions require until March 31, 2027?
The order limits lawn watering to one day a week, on a day set by your address, in short night and early morning windows. It covers all of Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and eight other counties, plus parts of four more (SWFWMD, District Water Restrictions). Your city or county can set a stricter day or hours, and its rule wins.
| Use | What the order allows | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn sprinklers | One day a week by the last digit of the address | Your city or county’s own day |
| Hours | Midnight to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. | Lots under one acre use one window only |
| Plants and beds by hand or drip | Any day, before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. | Lawns are not included |
| New lawns and plants | Any day for days 1 to 30, three days a week for days 31 to 60 | A written schedule is required |
| Private wells | Same one-day rule | No well exemption |
| Reclaimed water only | Voluntary hours | Your utility may restrict it |
For the day and hours where you live, our guides cover the Hillsborough watering schedule, including the City of Tampa, and Pasco County watering days.
This is general information about the SWFWMD water shortage order, not legal advice. Check the current order or ordinance, or ask your HOA or county, before you rely on it.
Will the restrictions end on March 31, 2027?
Nobody can say yet. March 31, 2027 is the date the order expires unless the District’s Governing Board votes to extend it again or change it, and the Board has already extended it twice. The order took effect on April 3, 2026, was extended to October 1, then was extended again on September 22, 2026 through March 31, 2027 (WUSF). Hillsborough County posted the new date for its residents two days later (Hillsborough County, September 24, 2026).
The District reported a 12-month rainfall deficit of 15.4 inches through August 2026, and Tampa Bay Water’s C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir held 7.87 billion gallons on September 20, about half its capacity (SWFWMD, Phase III extension FAQs, revised October 12). The same FAQs call March, April and May the driest months of the year, which is the stretch right after the order’s end date.
What happened the last time an order ended?
The District’s year-round rule came back, and some local rules stayed stricter. On October 22, 2024, the Governing Board rescinded a Modified Phase I order that had run since November 2023. All 16 counties in the District returned to Year-Round Water Conservation Measures, which limit lawn watering to twice a week unless your city or county has a different schedule (SWFWMD news release, October 22, 2024).
Two rulebooks in Tampa Bay did not loosen. Pasco County and the City of Tampa stayed on one day a week by local ordinance. The City of Tampa says its water use restrictions have been enforced year-round since 1992, with fines and a mandatory court appearance for violations (City of Tampa, Watering Days and Hours).
If you live in Pasco County or inside the City of Tampa, plan on one day a week after March 31, 2027 until your county or city says otherwise. In 2024 both kept one-day watering when the District order ended. The District said the 2024 change ended one-day watering for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties outside those local rules.
Should you replace a lawn before the order ends?
Usually not. The District allows new lawns and plants during the order, but its own FAQs say it is best to wait until the summer rainy season in June, because new sod and plants need a lot of water and March, April and May are the driest months. A lawn laid in late winter meets its first dry spring on one-day rules.
New lawns still get a 60-day establishment window: any day for days 1 to 30, then three days a week for days 31 to 60, with a written schedule. Our guide to how often to water new sod lays that schedule out day by day.
The honest limit: if your lawn is thin but still alive this winter, you probably do not need new sod in March. Fix the watering on your day, sharpen the mower blade, and decide in June, when the rain can help a new lawn root.
Not sure whether your lawn needs replacing or just a better season? Doug Wilson walks the yard and writes every quote himself.
What should you recheck before April 1, 2027?
Recheck the rule, then the controller, then the yard, in late March once the Board’s decision is posted.
-
Read the District’s restrictions page
Look for a new end date, a new phase or a rescinded order.
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Read your city or county page
Pasco County and the City of Tampa kept one-day watering by ordinance in 2024, so a District change may not reach you.
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Reset the controller day and hours
Match the day and hours to the rule that now applies to your address.
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Test the rain sensor
The District asks residents to confirm the rain sensor works, in line with state law.
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Walk each zone
Fix leaks and damaged or tilted heads, as the District’s FAQs advise.
Leaving Florida for the summer? Set the controller for the rule in force the day you leave. For the heads, see how to adjust sprinkler heads.
How do you know your lawn needs water on your day?
Water when the grass shows stress, not because the day came round. In its October 22, 2026 reminder to reset timers when clocks fall back on November 1, the District listed three signs (SWFWMD news release, October 22, 2026):
- Folded blades: grass blades folded in half lengthwise on at least one third of the yard.
- Color: blades that look blue-gray.
- Footprints: blades that do not spring back, so footprints stay for several minutes.
The District’s dry season runs October through May and averages about 3 inches of rain a month, against about 7.8 inches a month from June through September (SWFWMD, Rainfall Cycle), so expect these signs more often between now and the order’s end date. Medscapes crews on full-service maintenance plans run sprinkler checks: they watch the coverage and flag problems for you to fix. For lawn care that works within the rule, see our lawn care in Tampa Bay.
The one thing to do this week: check the clock on your irrigation controller after November 1, then put a reminder in your calendar for the last week of March 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pasco County still under water restrictions?
Pasco County is under the District’s one-day order through March 31, 2027. When the last District order ended in October 2024, Pasco County stayed on one day a week by its own ordinance, so check the county’s page before you change your controller in April.
Do the restrictions apply if I use a private well?
Private wells follow the same one-day rule. The District’s FAQs say every resident, including those on private wells, must keep to one-day-a-week watering under this order.
Can my HOA require me to resod during the order?
An HOA cannot enforce rules that make you use more pond, potable or well water while the order lasts, including rules to replace plants or pressure wash for looks. That protection comes from the order itself, so it ends if the order ends.
When did the District last declare a Phase III shortage?
The District’s last Phase III water shortage declaration before 2026 came in May 2017. The 2026 order is a Modified Phase III “Extreme” order, in effect since April 3, 2026 and now set to run through March 31, 2027.
Sources
- Southwest Florida Water Management District. District Water Restrictions. Checked October 23, 2026. swfwmd.state.fl.us
- Southwest Florida Water Management District. Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Restrictions, Frequently Asked Questions (revised October 12, 2026). Checked October 23, 2026. swfwmd.state.fl.us
- Southwest Florida Water Management District. Governing Board Votes to Rescind Water Shortage Order for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties, October 22, 2024. Checked October 23, 2026. swfwmd.state.fl.us
- Southwest Florida Water Management District. Check Your Irrigation Timer When You Fall Back to Standard Time, October 22, 2026. Checked October 23, 2026. swfwmd.state.fl.us
- City of Tampa. Watering Days and Hours (updated July 22, 2026). Checked October 23, 2026. tampa.gov
- Southwest Florida Water Management District. Rainfall Cycle. Checked October 23, 2026. swfwmd.state.fl.us
- WUSF Public Media. Outdoor watering restrictions are extended again, Steve Newborn, September 22, 2026. Checked October 23, 2026. wusf.org
- Hillsborough County. Water Restrictions Extended Through March 31, 2027 (September 24, 2026). Checked October 23, 2026. hcfl.gov
Want your lawn ready for whatever April brings?
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