Manatee County is on one-day-a-week lawn watering through March 31, 2027. On September 22, the Southwest Florida Water Management District extended its Modified Phase III “Extreme” water shortage for the second time, and Manatee County Utilities is enforcing it countywide, private wells included.
If you’ve seen a county page that says the restrictions end July 1, or a news story that says October 1, those dates have passed. Here’s what’s in effect now, and what it means if you’re building or landscaping a site in Manatee County.
Your watering day
Your lawn watering day is set by the last digit of your street address:
| Address ends in | Watering day |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Monday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday |
| 8 or 9, or no address (common areas, neighborhood entrances) | Friday |
City of Bradenton Utilities customers follow the same schedule. If you’re in another city or served by a different utility, check its page, since a local utility can be stricter than the District.
Allowed watering hours
- Under one acre: one window on your day, either 12:01 to 4 a.m. or 8 to 11:59 p.m.
- One acre or larger: both windows, before 4 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
- Beds and shrubs: hand watering, soaker hoses and micro-irrigation for plants other than lawns are allowed any day, before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Fines start at $100
Manatee County Utilities enforces the order with Code Enforcement, and citations go out without a warning first. The county’s penalties are $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second and $500 for a third. They apply to private wells too.
Reclaimed water isn’t a free pass
Properties on a reclaimed water meter aren’t bound by the schedule, but the county strongly encourages reclaimed customers to follow it anyway. In August, Manatee County reported reduced pressure on its reclaimed system because of high seasonal demand.
New sod, new landscaping and site work
This is where the order touches a project, and in a county adding as many new homes and commercial sites as Manatee, it touches a lot of them.
- New lawns and plants get a 60-day establishment period, starting the day they’re installed. Days 1 to 30: water any day. Days 31 to 60: three days a week. Even-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, odd-numbered addresses Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and common areas and rights-of-way Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
- Keep the paperwork. A written establishment watering schedule is required. Keep the sod and nursery receipts with it, because the owner may have to show the plantings are new.
- Plan spring installs carefully. March through May is the driest stretch of the year. If a certificate of occupancy depends on landscaping, settle plant selection and timing early.
- Put beds on their own irrigation zones. After establishment, turf drops to one day a week, but beds on micro-irrigation can still be watered any day within the allowed hours.
- Pressure washing to prep for painting or sealing is allowed, and HOAs can’t enforce rules that require more water use, including replacement landscaping or washing for appearance.
Manatee County Extension also offers free landscape and irrigation evaluations if you want a second look at a system before the dry season.
Where to check for changes
The county keeps its Modified Phase III restrictions page current, and the District can lift or extend the order at any time. For the regional picture, including which counties are covered, see our Florida Watch on the SWFWMD water restrictions.
We work across Manatee County from our Lakewood Ranch office, by appointment. If you’re laying out a site and want to talk through how the restrictions affect your civil site plan, we’ve been serving Southwest Florida since 2002.
FAQs
When do the Manatee County water restrictions end?
The current restrictions run through March 31, 2027, unless the Southwest Florida Water Management District lifts or extends them sooner. Older pages that list July 1 or October 1 are out of date.
What day can I water in Manatee County?
It depends on the last digit of your street address: 0 or 1 on Monday, 2 or 3 on Tuesday, 4 or 5 on Wednesday, 6 or 7 on Thursday, and 8 or 9 on Friday. Common areas without an address water on Friday.
Can I water new sod every day?
For the first 30 days after it’s installed, yes. From day 31 to day 60, new lawns and plants can be watered three days a week, and you need to keep a written watering schedule.
Do the restrictions apply if I’m on a private well?
Yes. Manatee County says every property in the county, including those on private wells, must follow the schedule and is subject to fines.
