Water restrictions in Polk County, FL — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Most of Polk County is in the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), which sets year-round twice-weekly limits: even addresses Thursday/Sunday, odd addresses Wednesday/Saturday, before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. A Modified Phase III shortage order currently tightens this to about one day per week.
Polk County spans three water management districts SWFWMD, SFWMD and SJRWMD so exact rules vary by location; the majority and most populated area is SWFWMD ("Swiftmud"). SWFWMD's year-round rule limits lawn irrigation to two days per week: even/no-address-mix addresses on Thursday and/or Sunday, odd addresses on Wednesday and/or Saturday, and locations without a discernable address (rights-of-way, common areas) on Tuesday and/or Friday all only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. In 2026 SWFWMD declared a Modified Phase III "Extreme" Water Shortage (through October 1), cutting most properties to one day per week with tighter overnight hours; check your local utility for the current order.
Water-restriction violations are enforced by SWFWMD and local utilities/code enforcement, typically by warning then escalating fines for repeat offenders.
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See how Polk County's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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