The short answer
Hernando County is under a Modified Phase III water shortage order from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, extended through March 31, 2027. An established lawn can be watered one day a week, on the day set by the last digit of your address, and only between midnight and 4 am or between 8 pm and midnight.
Hernando County watering days by address
| Address ends in | Lawn watering day |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Monday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday |
| 8 or 9 | Friday |
| Mixed addresses or no address | Friday |
No lawn irrigation on Saturday or Sunday.
Hernando County watering hours
On your day, sprinklers can run from 12:01 am to 4 am or from 8 pm to 11:59 pm. Those hours are for home lots under an acre. Hand watering and drip or micro-irrigation of plants and beds are allowed any day, before 8 am or after 6 pm.
Watering new sod in Hernando County
New lawns and plants get a 60-day establishment period. Days 1 to 30, you can water any day, before 8 am or after 6 pm. Days 31 to 60, three days a week: odd-numbered addresses on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, even-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. After day 60 the lawn goes back to one day a week. For the first 10 days, the county new-sod schedule calls for short cycles of 5 to 10 minutes, two or three times a day, so the soil under the sod never dries out. More in when to lay sod in Florida and how long new sod takes to root.
Other Hernando County water restrictions
- Car washing at home is allowed only on your watering day.
- Fountains and other decorative water features are limited to 4 hours.
- Pressure washing is allowed only to get a surface ready for painting or sealing.
- The new-sod schedule above applies only when new sod covers half or more of the lawn. Smaller patches stay on the one-day-a-week schedule.
Who enforces the rules, and fines
Since October 1, 2026, watering restrictions are enforced by Water Resource Enforcement Officers in the Hernando County Utilities Department, not Code Enforcement. If you get a fine for a watering violation, the county asks you to call the Utilities Department at (352) 754-4037. Violations can be reported anonymously through the county’s online form on the watering restrictions page.
Making one day a week work
An established St. Augustine or Bahia lawn can get by on one good watering a week in most weeks. Put down about three quarters of an inch, keep the mower at 3.5 to 4 inches so the grass shades its own roots, and let the summer rain do the rest. A rain sensor on the timer skips the cycle when it has already rained. See how short to cut St. Augustine grass.
Check before you change your timer
Shortage orders get extended, eased, or tightened. Hernando County Utilities posts the current rules on its watering restrictions page and answers questions at (352) 754-4705. This page was last checked against both sources on October 18, 2026.
New sod or a thin lawn?
Supreme Landscape does sod installation and lawn mowing across Spring Hill and Hernando County, and every new sod job comes with a written watering plan that fits these rules. Call or text 727-809-8150 for a free quote.
Sources: Hernando County Utilities: Watering Restrictions; Southwest Florida Water Management District: District Water Restrictions
