TAMPA, Fla. — Residents in Hillsborough County, and other places across the Tampa Bay area, will not be able to use certain fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus come next week.
A fertilizer ban goes into effect in multiple counties starting June 1 until Sept. 30.
Hillsborough is the latest county in the Tampa Bay area to join several others by putting fertilizer limits in place during the rainy season. The rules are similar to the fertilizer ordinances in Pinellas, Sarasota and Polk counties.
Win Everham, an environmental studies professor with Florida Gulf Coast University says it's a good idea for counties to put rules like this in place. He says when it rains, the fertilizer used on lawns can seep into waterways.
“When we are fertilizing our lawns literally the problem is also coming from our own backyards," Everham said.
“For most of our aquatic systems if you put in too much nitrogen or put in too much phosphorus you get a bloom of algae," Everham added.
In the event that a toxic algae bloom is created, he says it can lead to fish kills.
Hillsborough County officials say they put this ban in place in an effort to prevent these toxic algae blooms. They say keeping our waterways clean is a priority. Furthermore, Everham stressed that it's important to keep things balanced or else the ecological system can be disrupted.
“The algae grows really quick and thus is able to capitalize on those extra resources," he explained.
In Hernando County, the fertilizer ban runs from June 1 through Sept. 30. Pasco County has certain fertilizer rules in place all year long.