St. Petersburg, FL Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Restriction trigger
- Mayor's executive order, max 90 days
- Frequency cap
- Restrictions issued at most every 6 months
- Residential hours
- 5-9 a.m. and 7-11 p.m.
- Even address days
- Tue, Thu, Sat
- Odd address days
- Mon, Wed, Sun
- New plantings
- 30-day exemption from schedule
- Enforcement
- Service discontinuance up to 1+ year
Summary
St. Petersburg's Mayor can order reclaimed-water irrigation cut to three days a week for up to 90 days when the reclaimed system needs relief, with hours and a day schedule split by address and customer type under City Code § 27-170.
(c) The Mayor has the authority to establish additional reclaimed water restrictions limiting outdoor irrigation with reclaimed water to three days per week when necessary for the efficient operation of the reclaimed water system, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days. Such restrictions may be established no more than once every six months. Upon execution of an executive order establishing such restrictions, the use of reclaimed water shall be restricted as follows: (1) Irrigation of lawns and landscape with reclaimed water for all customers other than those identified in subsections (c)(2) and (3) of this section shall be permitted only between the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and shall be restricted to the following schedule
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 27-170 governs the City's reclaimed (recycled) water system, which is separate from the potable-water rules in § 27-46. Under subsection (a), the Mayor promulgates application, installation, backflow-prevention, and enforcement procedures for reclaimed-water service, and under (b) can set usage-time and maximum-rate rules by executive order without City Council approval. Subsection (c) lets the Mayor, when necessary for efficient system operation, impose additional restrictions limiting outdoor irrigation with reclaimed water to three days per week for a period not exceeding 90 days, and such restrictions can be issued no more than once every six months.
, on a schedule keyed to the property's last address digit: even numbers (0,2,4,6,8) water Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while odd numbers (1,3,5,7,9) water Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Multifamily, education/government, and commercial/industrial reclaimed customers with 2-inch-or-larger service lines follow a separate three-day schedule split by location relative to Central Avenue. Golf courses, cemeteries, and other athletic/recreational facilities are instead required to submit a reclaimed-water irrigation plan to the Water Resources Department (POD) within 30 days of notification and follow UF-IFAS/USDA-NRCS best management practices; failing to submit or follow that plan is itself a municipal ordinance violation.
New lawn and landscape material gets an unrestricted first 30 days under subsection (d). Reclaimed water may never be used for drinking, filling pools, watering edible crops, or connecting to another water source per § 27-173(b)(8), and unauthorized or noncompliant reclaimed-water devices can be ordered removed with costs charged to the property owner under § 27-170(e).
Violations & Fines
A reclaimed-water customer found in violation of any City ordinance, regulation, or permit governing the reclaimed system is subject to immediate discontinuance of service under § 27-170(f) and § 27-171, which can run up to or beyond one year and, for major threats to the system or public health and safety, can be permanent. Violations also fall under the general penalty of § 1-7: up to a $500.00 fine, 60 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reclaimed water restricted for in St. Petersburg?
When can reclaimed-water customers irrigate?
How long can reclaimed-water restrictions last?
What happens if I violate the reclaimed water rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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