Manatee County, FL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Manatee County, FL, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Manatee County Code §§ 2-31-71 to 2-31-78
- Current order
- SWFWMD Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage
- Watering frequency
- One day per week by address parity
- Enforcement agency
- Manatee County Sheriff's Office
- Exempt water sources
- Treated effluent and saltwater only
- Penalty basis
- General law or F.S. § 373.613
Summary
Manatee County locally enforces Southwest Florida Water Management District water shortage orders, including the current Modified Phase III restrictions limiting irrigation to one watering day per week. Violations are misdemeanors under general law, and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office is the enforcing agency for unincorporated areas.
It is the purpose and intent of the board to establish a mechanism whereby the water shortage order and water shortage emergency orders of the Southwest Florida Water Management District are locally enforced... This division shall not apply to persons using treated effluent or saltwater... The declaration of a water shortage or water shortage emergency within all or any part of the unincorporated area of the county by the governing board or the executive director of the district shall invoke the provisions of this division. Upon such declaration, all water use restrictions or other measures adopted by the district pursuant to Chapter 40-D-21, Florida Administrative Code, which are applicable to the county, or any portion thereof, shall be subject to the enforcement provisions pursuant to section 2-31-76 of this division. Any violation of the provisions of Chapter 40-D-21, Florida Administrative Code, or any order issued pursuant thereto, shall be a violation of this division... Any person violating or failing to comply with any provisions of this division shall be guilty and punished as provided by general law. Each act in violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124 | Land Development Code: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Manatee County Code §§ 2-31-71 through 2-31-78 create the county's mechanism for locally enforcing SWFWMD water shortage and water shortage emergency orders under Chapter 40-D-21, Florida Administrative Code. Once the district's governing board or executive director declares a water shortage affecting all or part of unincorporated Manatee County, every water-use restriction the district adopts becomes locally enforceable under Sec. 2-31-76, and any violation of Chapter 40-D-21 or a district order is automatically a violation of the county division too. m. for their first 30 days.
Sec. 2-31-74 exempts only water users applying treated effluent or saltwater; potable, well and surface-water users are covered. Sec. 2-31-73 makes the division effective countywide in the unincorporated area and reaches any person or contract customer using the water resource, regardless of where they are physically located. The sheriff and delegated county deputies enforce under Sec. 2-31-76, with the county administrator able to assign enforcement to other departments with board approval and sheriff coordination.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 2-31-77(a) makes any violation of the local-enforcement division punishable as provided by general law, with each act a separate offense. Where Florida's water-shortage statute (Chapter 373, F.S.) specifically applies, Sec. 2-31-77(b) instead imposes the penalty set in F.S. § 373.613, again treating each act as a separate offense. Water service acceptance under Sec. 2-31-78 doubles as consent to the division's terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a week can I run my irrigation system in unincorporated Manatee County?
Who enforces Manatee County's water shortage restrictions?
Is hand watering with a hose exempt from the watering-day schedule?
What happens if I violate the watering restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manatee County
How Manatee County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Manatee County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.