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Tampa To Relax Sprinkling Rules On Well Owners

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 31, 2009

TAMPA - The city plans to relax some watering restrictions on shallow well owners.

Brad Baird, director of the Tampa's water department, said the proposed changes would allow private well owners within the city limits to water once a week using sprinklers.

"They really don't have an impact on the city's drinking water system," he said.

The city council is expected to vote on the proposed changes at Thursday's meeting.

Last week, the council approved tough new watering restrictions for city residents aimed at conserving the Tampa's strained drinking water supplies amid a three-year drought.

The new rules, the toughest in the state, go into effect Friday and will allow only hand-watering of lawns one day a week. Irrigation of lawns using sprinklers will be banned.

The changes affect an estimated 140,000 residential and commercial customers in the city and unincorporated areas of Hillsborough County served by the city water system.

City officials couldn't immediately say how many residents have wells on their property.

Baird said well owners – who draw groundwater for irrigation – wouldn't be exempt from water use restrictions imposed by the Southwest Florida Water Management, but would be excused from the more stringent hand watering rules passed by council last week.

Swiftmud meets today to consider tougher watering restrictions, such as cutting the hours sprinklers can run and banning pressure cleaning. But city officials said they expect the district to exempt shallow wells owners from the increased restrictions.

The district's new rules would apply to Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Baird said the city is also reviewing about two dozen variances, granted before its new rules were approved, exempting some city departments and private business owners.

Among them: the city's parks and recreation department.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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