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Hey, Water Violators: Your Neighbor Is Onto You

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JEFF PATTERSON

jpatterson@wfla.com

Published: March 16, 2009

Updated: 03/16/2009 07:22 pm

On a bright sunny day with few clouds, Andrea Rosshaven drives slowly through the streets of Tampa. The window of Rosshaven's van is down and her radio is off.

She's listening for the telltale sounds of water sprinklers.

Rosshaven is a water conservation specialist for the city of Tampa. She's also been deputized as a water enforcement officer, a power that takes on more import in these days of drought and accompanying focus on water conservation.

Shortly before noon today, Rosshaven spots the sprinklers of a home in South Tampa running at full blast.

She approaches a man in the front yard who identifies himself as the home builder. He tells Rosshaven, "I just planted these plants, this house is under construction."

The excuse doesn't hold water. New landscaping does indeed qualify for more lenient watering rules, but even for newly planted landscaping, irrigation still is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Fines for violators can be hefty. A first offense carries a $100 fine; that rises to $200 for the second offense and $450, plus a mandatory court appearance, for the third, said Eli Franco with the city of Tampa Water Department.

Franco says the number of violators cited has stayed relatively constant, but the number of reports from neighbors about violators has been going up.

The city of Tampa has 10 pages of watering restrictions, Franco says, and it's up to homeowners to know when and how they can water. Franco says the restrictions have been in place long enough that most people know the rules by now.

Reporter Jeff Patterson can be reached at (813) 221-5703.

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