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Pasco Increases Watering Penalty By $100

Tribune photo by ANDY JONES

Larry Cosner, of Pasco County's Water and Sewer department, takes photos to document illegal watering at a home in a Port Richey neighborhood during a recent early-morning patrol.

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 24, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Lawn-watering scofflaws will soon feel the effects in their wallets.

Pasco County officials today set the fine for first-time watering offenders to $143 with court costs.

The change adds $100 to the previous fine – a change commissioners felt was needed to impress upon property owners the seriousness of the drought conditions now facing the Tampa Bay area.

Repeat offenders get ticketed $260 for a second offense and $500 for each subsequent offense.

The county has written more than 900 tickets for illegal watering since it stepped up enforcement late last year. This month, county officials began patrolling neighborhoods on Saturday and Sunday, looking for violators.

Pasco still allows lawn-watering once a week, depending on a addresses. Commissioners said today that they may face steeper limitations similar to the ban Tampa put in effect last week on using automated sprinklers.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201.

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