HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — For months now, Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough county residents have reduced their water usage under county wide mandates.
Last month, these restrictions were extended through July 1.
Many people in Tampa Bay have adjusted over the last months to less water usage and only watering the lawn once a week.
"Half of all the water of all the potable water is used for lawn irrigation," said Hillsborough County Commissioner and Tampa Water Board Member Harry Cohen. "So when you take one day away, it makes a real impact on water consumption."
Cohen says these restrictions are working. By not watering your lawn on a day it rains, you can save upwards of 2,000 gallons of water.
"In Hillsborough county alone, the water consumption, post the restrictions going into place, fell by about 15%," Cohen explained.
These mandates are enforceable with fines. So far this year, 624 citations were issued. Of those, there were only 11 fines, meaning people are changing behavior with only a warning.
"It's gone down once the word got out, partly, and thanks to the media, and just people, you know, realizing what's going on," said Jon-Paul Lavandeira, the Hillsborough county code enforcement director.
While code enforcement makes their early morning rounds, when a citation is issued, it's seldom well-received.
"Usually doesn't go over very well," Lavandeira explained. "Folks have a plethora of reasons. And we do have a process to hear appeals because sometimes there's a legitimate reason for things... And you know, naturally folks don't want to get fined. So more often than not, there's an excuse, most of the times invalid."
Code enforcement says they've assessed $3,700 worth of fees for people violating the watering restrictions.
"But what we really want to get out in terms of a message is to let people know that what they're doing is helping that the one day a week watering really does make a difference," said Cohen. "It allows us not to have to contemplate going to more severe restrictions. "
Cohen says restrictions could be dropped before July 1, or extended again. That decision will be made closer to when current water restrictions expire.
Fines for watering your lawn more than once a week start at $100. Then go up in $100 dollar increments up to 500. To read more on current water restrictions, click here.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.