Bradenton, FL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

The article applies to everyone using the water resource, whether the water comes from a public or privately owned utility system or from a private connection to a surface water body. Section 70-202 exempts persons using treated effluent or saltwater, which puts reclaimed water irrigation outside these orders.

Nothing in Article VII prints a watering-day or time-of-day schedule. Instead, section 70-203 says a declaration of a water shortage or water shortage emergency by the mayor, in concert with the district, invokes the article. From that point every restriction imposed by the district under chapter 40D-21, Florida Administrative Code, or by the mayor under the City of Bradenton's water demand management plan is subject to enforcement by the city, and a violation of either counts as a violation of the article. Section 70-201 defines the water shortage plan as chapter 40D-21 or any modification of it current when the shortage or emergency is declared, so the days and hours you must follow are whatever the order in force says.

Enforcement under section 70-204 falls on every police officer and code enforcement officer of the City of Bradenton in the service areas the article governs, and the mayor can delegate enforcement to other city agencies and departments. Section 70-206 ties water service to compliance: no water service is furnished to any person or utility unless that person or utility agrees to accept the article, and accepting service is itself acceptance.

Money also flows through the rate schedule. Under section 70-154(c), when the mayor declares a water shortage emergency for a billing month and a majority of the city council ratifies it, every water bill, inside or outside the city, carries a surcharge of 200 percent of the charge per 1,000 gallons on all water used above 70 percent of the customer's average volume over the last three full billing months of record.