Which days you can run the sprinklers, and for how long

These rules are current as of October 2026. Seminole County's schedule matches the St. Johns River Water Management District's, and the district's watering restrictions page is the place to confirm before you change the timer. In 2026, the switch from twice-a-week to once-a-week watering falls on Sunday, November 1.

Which days can I water?

It depends on the season and whether your address ends in an odd or even number. An odd address ends in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9; an even one ends in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8. Homes with no address go with the odd group.

From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, during Daylight Saving Time, you get two days a week. From the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March, you get one.

SJRWMD watering restrictions and the City of Sanford brochure

Drinking water or private well, March to November2 days

Drinking water or private well, November to March1 day

Sanford reclaimed water, year round3 days

Source: SJRWMD, Watering Restrictions; City of Sanford, Watering Restrictions

Reclaimed customers have their own days, covered below.

What hours and how much?

Sprinklers stay off from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, every day. On an allowed day, the district caps each zone at 3/4 inch of water and one hour of run time.

Automatic systems must have a working rain sensor or shutoff switch. Florida law requires anyone who installs an automatic system to install and maintain technology that stops it when there's been enough rain, and a licensed contractor working on your system must test that device first.

Do the rules apply if I water from my own well?

Yes, in Seminole County. The county's Water Conservation Ordinance #2009-24 applies county-wide to every water source, including private wells and reclaimed water, according to the county's water conservation page. Sanford's rules also reach private wells and surface water.

And if reclaimed water is available to your property, the district says private irrigation wells may not be used for watering at all.

What are the exceptions?

Several kinds of watering are allowed outside your assigned days:

• Drip, micro-spray, micro-jet and bubbler systems may run any time.
• A hand-held hose with a spray nozzle may be used any time; Seminole County requires the nozzle to shut off automatically.
• New landscaping may be watered any day for the first 30 days, then every other day for another 30.
• Watering in fertilizer or other chemicals is allowed within 24 hours of application.
• System maintenance and repair may run up to 20 minutes per hour per zone.

In Seminole County, the new-sod allowance comes with a step: send your sod or landscape receipt to the county's Water Conservation Section to water freely for the added 30 days.

Is there a water shortage order right now?

Not for us. The district declared a Phase III extreme water shortage in May 2026, with one-day-a-week watering and no watering from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the order named Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties and parts of others to the north and west. Seminole and Orange are not on the list, per Order 2026-017. Shortage orders can change, so check the district site before each season.

What happens if I water on the wrong day?

Fines depend on where you live. Sanford's brochure lays out a warning for the first violation, then $25, $50, $75 and $100 added to the utility bill, then code enforcement. We could not confirm Seminole County's fine amounts; ask the Water Conservation Section.

If a sprinkler is running on the wrong day because of a stuck valve or a timer reset after a power outage, fix it quickly. A running zone also shows up on the meter; our high water bill story covers the meter check.

How do the towns differ?

Watering with reclaimed water? Its rules are in our reclaimed water story, and the device that protects your drinking water from the sprinkler line is covered in backflow preventers. Fertilizer runoff matters for the springs too; see springs-area septic rules.

Readers often ask

Does daylight saving time really set the watering schedule?

Yes. The two-day season runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, the same dates as Daylight Saving Time. In 2026 the one-day schedule starts Sunday, November 1.

Can I hand water my flower beds on an off day?

Yes, with a hand-held hose and spray nozzle, any time. In Seminole County the nozzle must shut off automatically when you let go.

My irrigation runs on drip lines. Do the day limits apply?

No. Drip, micro-spray, micro-jet and bubbler irrigation may run any time under the district's rules.

I just laid new sod. How often can I water it?

Any day for the first 30 days, then every other day for 30 more. In Seminole County, send the sod receipt to the Water Conservation Section to use that allowance.

Does my old sprinkler system need a rain sensor?

Automatic systems must have a working rain sensor or shutoff. The district's rule covers systems installed after May 1991, and Florida law requires installers to put in and maintain one.

Where this came from

1. SJRWMD — Watering Restrictions — days, hours, limits, exceptions, rain sensors, reclaimed and wells
2. SJRWMD — Order 2026-017, Phase III Water Shortage — counties covered
3. Seminole County — Water Conservation (archived May 2026) — ordinance applies to wells and reclaimed water
4. Seminole County — Watering Restrictions (archived June 2025) — county days, reclaimed days, nozzle and sod rules
5. City of Sanford — Watering Restrictions brochure — Sanford days, reclaimed days, fines, odd and even
6. Florida Statutes s. 373.62 — rain shutoff technology