Do your part: Reset your sprinkler system timer Saturday to fall back to once-a-week watering

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District's Fall Back campaign

The district’s Office of Communications was recently honored by the Jacksonville Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association for its “Fall Back” outdoor water conservation campaign.

Time to fall back to one a week. Water less. waterlesflorida.comPALATKA, Fla., Nov. 1, 2019 — Starting Sunday, Nov. 3, homeowners and businesses will fall back to once-a-week landscape irrigation across the 18 counties of the St. Johns River Water Management District. Nov. 3 is the day that Eastern Standard Time begins.

“Healthy lawns in our area require no more than one day a week of irrigation during cooler weather, based on scientific analysis from the University of Florida,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “So, when you change your clocks Saturday night, be sure to also reset your sprinkler timers to water only on the designated day for your address. And thanks for doing your part to protect Florida’s water resources!”

The district’s new Water Less campaign features four seasonal themes, starting with “Fall Back” in November to encourage once-a-week watering as temperatures begin cooling.

Public water supply is the largest category of water use in the district’s 18-county region — about 565.5 million gallons of water a day. The bulk of this water is for residential water use, and landscape irrigation can account for more than 50 percent of total water use at residential locations.

Because lawns need significantly less water in Florida’s winter months, watering restrictions are in place to ensure that water used for irrigation is used efficiently. During Eastern Standard Time, landscape irrigation is limited to no more than one day a week on the following schedule:

  • Saturday at addresses that end in an odd number or have no address
  • Sunday at addresses that end in an even number
  • Tuesday at nonresidential addresses
  • No irrigation is allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Irrigation restrictions apply to all landscape watering not currently regulated by a consumptive use permit, which typically includes residential, commercial and industrial landscapes, and includes water withdrawn from ground or surface water, from a private well or pump, or from a public or private water utility. Golf courses, plant nurseries, agricultural crops, and sports recreational areas generally have consumptive use permits that specify their irrigation limitations.

More information and water-saving tips can be found at waterlessflorida.com.