LAKELAND, Fla. (WFTS) — New fines are now in place for Lakeland residents who violate the city’s water-use restrictions as drought conditions continue across the region.
Under a new ordinance approved by the Lakeland City Commission, city employees can issue harsh monetary fines to people who violate watering restrictions.
A first violation carries a $50 fine. A second violation can result in a $200 fine, while third and subsequent violations can cost $500.
Most properties in Lakeland are limited to watering their lawns and landscaping one day a week, with watering allowed only during specific hours.
The restrictions come as the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), continues its Phase 3 Water Shortage declaration. SWFWMD extended the Phase 3 restrictions through Oct. 1 because of ongoing drought conditions and rainfall deficits.
“Even though Lakeland may be receiving quite a substantial amount of rain, they have to take the whole [water management] district into consideration,” said Brittany Thornton, City of Lakeland Water Utilities Conservation Specialist.
Karen Peterson Norris, owner of Peterson Nursery and Garden Center in Lakeland, said recent afternoon showers have provided some relief, but this remains the longest dry spell she can remember in the nursery’s 94-year history.
“Any abrupt change in air temperature and soil moisture will cause plants to get stressed and we are definitely having no moisture,” Norris said.
Norris said homeowners can still maintain healthy lawns and plants while following the watering restrictions. The key is making sure water penetrates deeply into the soil.
“If they do the deeper water when they can water once a week, their grass and lawn will still stay green,” Norris said. “It’s when they do the short, like 15- or 30-minute intervals, you’re not going to have a green lawn because of that.”
Norris recommends deep watering on the day residents are permitted to irrigate, rather than relying on short watering sessions. She also recommends watering in the morning and using a sprinkler attached to a hose when possible.
Another option is using a moisture-retaining product such as Horta-Sorb, nicknamed “water grabber,” which Norris said can help keep moisture around a plant’s root system.
“You put it in the ground at the time of planting, and then you put it around the plant — not at the base of the plant, but around it — so all the root system can grab that little gel and hold the moisture in that root system,” Norris said.
Norris said the goal is not simply to use less water, but to make sure the water being used is reaching the plants and their roots.
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