Image courtesy of the SJRWMD

With the return of Eastern Standard Time on November 2 comes a change in the irrigation rules.

During the winter months when lawns and plants don't need much water, watering is only allowed one day a week. If your address ends in an odd number, you can water on Saturdays. If your address ends in an even number, you can water on Sundays.  Nonresidential irrigation can occur on Tuesdays. Watering is only allowed before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

While you are permitted to water on a designated day of each week, it doesn't mean that you need to run your sprinklers at all on those days. When our lawns are dormant, they generally only need water every 7 to 14 days and can often get by on normal rainfall events. So, make sure that you adjust your irrigation timers, pay close attention to the rainfall patterns, and water only when necessary.  This is also a good time of the year to consider replacing some of your landscaped areas that require a lot of water with native or drought-tolerant grasses and plants.  Click here for River Friendly landscape recommendations.

So, let's all do our part by conserving and using our precious water resources as efficiently as possible. If your neighbors are not following the irrigation rule, they may just not be aware of the rule or how little water our lawns and plants need over the next several months. Help spread the word. Here is more information about watering restrictions. To report violations, call the St. Johns River Water Management District at (800) 232-0904.  In Duval County, call (904) 630-2489 [CITY] or report online