Tampa Water Emergency

Tampa remains under an emergency water shortage issued by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Lack of rainfall, drought conditions and an uptick in demand have taken a toll on Tampa's main water supply, the Hillsborough River Reservoir.

The emergency order allows Tampa Bay Water to draw additional water from the Tampa Bypass Canal to add to the Hillsborough River Reservoir. The extra water will maintain water pressure and water quality, the district said. As part of the order, Tampa is required to aggressively enforce its one-a-week lawn watering rules and establish an emergency plan with Tampa Bay Water and the district if drought conditions persist.

During a recent week, the city paid $472, 000 to Tampa Bay Water for 200-million gallons of water to supplement its own supply.

How you can help
Tampa's Water Department wants help nabbing water use violators.
- Anyone who observes illegal watering by home or business owners should call (813) 274-8036 and leave a message with the address, date and time of the violation.
- Broken water lines or hydrants can be reported to (813) 274-7400.