New watering rules in effect for Sarasota County

While residents are still only permitted to water once a week, the approved days for watering lawns and other areas are now spread over the entire week, instead of just Tuesday or Thursday.

Under the new system approved by commissioners, residents in the unincorporated area of the county will irrigate on a day corresponding to the last number in their address.

For example, addresses ending in a 0 or 1, will water on Monday, and 2 or 3 on Tuesdays, and so on to Friday.

Addresses ending in A-Z and common areas with no address such as development entrances will irrigate on Saturdays.

Irrigation will not be permitted on Sundays.

Watering is also prohibited between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on your allowable day.

If a new lawn is being installed, watering may occur on the day of installation at any time of the day. After the first day, new lawns can be irrigated any day of the week for 29 days— but not between the prohibited hours. On days 31 through 60, new lawns may be irrigated up to three times a week, before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

After the 60th day, the homeowner must return to watering only on the allowable day.

The changes to the irrigation schedule were necessary Utilities Director Mike Mylett told commissioners, because during the dry months, limiting watering to only two days a week put a tremendous demand on the utility system.

Spreading the allowable watering days over an entire week, Mylett said, would result in more predictable demands on the utility system and create more stability.