ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Counties across the Tampa Bay area have been under restrictions for watering since Dec. 1, 2023. The limits on what days you can water your lawn differ depending on which county you’re in and whether your local government has stricter limits.
But the kind of water supply system your property runs on can also change those guidelines.
John D. in New Port Richey asked if the restrictions also apply to people who don’t use a private company or get water from the city.
THE QUESTION
Is well water or water from a pond exempt from watering restrictions?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, well water or water from a pond is not exempt from watering restrictions.
WHAT WE FOUND
In February, SWFWMD extended watering restrictions until July 1, citing a lack of rainfall to supply Florida’s reservoirs and aquifers. City of Tampa officials said the area’s main water utility company, Tampa Bay Water, reported their reservoir was about 8.5 billion gallons below normal capacity after an unusually dry summer in 2023.
Despite a rainy winter, leaders said last month there’s still a 7.4-inch rainfall deficit in the region.
Water levels in aquifers, rivers and lakes were beginning to decline as a result, prompting restrictions to ensure the supply is not further strained, according to SWFWMD.
That’s why wells are not exempt from restrictions, according to Susanna Martinez Tarokh, SWFWMD’s public information officer.
“A well produces water from the same aquifers as wellfields associated with public supply sources,” Tarokh told VERIFY.
In a nutshell, whether you get your water from a well, a private or public utility company, it all comes from the same place. Florida’s aquifer system stretches beneath the entire state, and even extends into parts of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, as described by the U.S. Geological Survey.
When there’s a lack of rainfall, water levels go down in the aquifer along with other bodies of water like rivers and lakes. That means if you get your water from a pond, as John was wondering about, you're also not exempt because the lack of rainfall also impacts that supply source.
Tarokh said the only exemption from the restrictions is reclaimed water, which comes from a wastewater treatment plant instead of a body of water. It’s essentially recycled water from households, schools and other facilities that gets treated several times before being reused, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
For more information on current watering restrictions, contact your city and county government first. You can find a list of phone numbers here. Otherwise, SWFWMD's restrictions on irrigation can be found here.
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