HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County officials are stressing the importance of saving water as the county sits in a rain deficit.
Tia Silvasy with the Hillsborough County Extension said we're currently in a drought. According to Southwest Florida Water Management District, the rainfall average for the month of May is 3.56 inches. We ended the month at 1.41 inches.
“We are in a very hot and dry period, so water conservation is really critical,” Silvasy said.
That's why the county is working to cut back on landscape watering. As we sit in a rain deficit, there are water restrictions in place. Households are assigned one day a week to water their yard.
For people like Denise Kantac, that is hard.
“It's hard, it is hard, but I have to dedicate that time for it, and I always have my eye on the calendar hoping for the rainy season to start,” Kantac said.
Kantac is a Tampa resident who has been working on her garden for 30 years now. She said the water restrictions come with creative ways of keeping her plants alive and happy during a drought.
Silvasy explained that watering your plants once a week can actually go a long way, suggesting watering early in the morning and adding mulch or compost to your grass, plants, and trees. She also said to keep your grass long to help the lawn retain more water.
As for potted plants, she said to put them in a saucer.
“You can see these saucers here under the plant that will capture the water and store the water instead of it just running out,” Silvasy said.
She said the county has already issued several citations for people who water their lawns outside of one day a week, and the fine is about $100.
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