The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted to let the Modified Phase II water shortage restrictions expire for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties due to improvements in the region's water resources.

These counties will return to the District's year-round water conservation measures of a two-day-per-week lawn and landscape watering schedule, unless a stricter local ordinance applies.

The Governing Board voted to lift the restrictions in response to significant improvements in aquifer and river levels as a result of Tropical Storm Debby and regular summer rains. However, the Governing Board urged residents to continue the water conservation practices they've learned during the recent drought.

If you live in unincorporated Hillsborough County or the City of Tampa, the new twice-a-week watering days are as follows:
 

• Addresses ending in 0, 1, 2 or 3 - Mondays and Thursdays.
• Addresses ending in 4, 5 or 6 - Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Addresses ending in 7, 8 or 9 - Wednesdays and Saturdays
• Locations with no address (common areas) and locations with mixed addresses (such as office complexes and shopping centers) - Wednesdays and Saturdays.

All watering must be done before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. and only once on your designated days.

The restrictions apply to all residents - not just customers of public utilities - and most water sources. That includes private wells, and ponds or lakes that are used as alternate irrigation supplies.

The use of reclaimed water is not subject to the day-of-week or time-of-day restrictions, although these customers are encouraged to use only what they need.

Hand-watering and low-volume irrigation of plant material other than lawns or turfgrass may be done on any day and at any time.

New sod and landscaping may be watered on any day for the first 30 days. On days 31-60, new sod and landscaping may be watered approximately every other day - even-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; odd-numbered addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. An irrigation system zone can only be operated if the new sod or plant material covers at least 50 percent of that zone.

Fountains, Car Washing, Pressure Washing - no restrictions, yet residents are asked to still use water conservation methods, such as using a shutoff nozzle on their hose so water isn't wasted.