Lakeland Doubles Down on Water Rules: Fines Now Up to $500 for Watering on the Wrong Day

Lakeland homeowners and business owners now face real money on their Lakeland Electric bill if they water their lawn or wash their car on the wrong day. The City Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 8 to toughen enforcement of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Phase III drought restrictions, setting fines of $50 for a first violation, $200 for a second and $500 for a third or any violation after that. The new rules took effect immediately.

The fines are tracked on a rolling 12-month basis, so a violation from a year ago won't count against a homeowner today, but three strikes within that window means the top penalty. Fines land directly on a customer's Lakeland Electric account unless an appeal is filed and approved.

Who enforces it, and how

A violation has to be witnessed and verified by an authorized city official, whether that's Water Utilities staff, Lakeland Police or code enforcement. After that, the city mails a notice of violation to the account holder tied to the property. Account holders get 30 days to file a written appeal with the Water Utilities Department, and the Water Utilities Director or a designee decides whether the fine stands or gets waived. Assistant City Attorney Katie Prenoveau told commissioners the city has little choice but to start writing citations, since Swiftmud, as the water district is commonly known, declared the region including Polk County to be in Phase III drought back in early April and put the regional restrictions in place then. The city held off on financial penalties until now.

Know your watering day

The schedule is tied to the last digit of a property's street address, and it applies to lawn irrigation and washing cars or trucks alike.

Watering has to happen before 4 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on the assigned day, not both windows on the same day. Hand watering and micro-irrigation are allowed on any day, but only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Every automatic irrigation system is required to have a working rain shutoff device. Pressure washing for aesthetic purposes isn't allowed, though pressure washing to prep a surface for painting or sealing is still permitted. Wasteful water use, meaning runoff onto pavement or a broken sprinkler head left running, is prohibited regardless of the day. The restrictions cover private homes and commercial landscapes the same way, and they apply no matter the water source, whether it's city water, a private well or surface water.

What happens Oct. 1

Swiftmud declared the Phase III shortage in April because of an ongoing rainfall deficit across the district. City officials say recent afternoon showers have helped, but the region is still short of its historical rainfall average. Brittany Thornton, Lakeland's water use conservation specialist, said Swiftmud's governing board meets Sept. 22 and will decide then whether Polk County stays under Phase III restrictions past Oct. 1 or eases back to Phase II. That decision rests entirely with the district, not the city. Lakeland's new fine structure stays on the books either way, ready to apply to whatever phase of restrictions is in force. Residents can look up their designated watering day and find the full restriction list, along with instructions for requesting a variance, on the city's water restrictions page at lakelandgov.net.

Have questions about how this affects your street or your business? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and check our government and politics coverage for updates after Swiftmud's Sept. 22 meeting. For more Lakeland news, visit the Lakeland Community Website or browse our latest local news.