Starting Sunday, Alachua County residents will be restricted to watering their landscape once per week.

According to an Alachua County press release, the landscape irrigation restrictions will be as follows:

• Odd house numbers – Saturday

• Even house numbers – Sunday

• Non-residential/commercial (including common areas in subdivisions) – Tuesday 

“Landscape irrigation accounts for almost 60% of residential water use,” said Alachua County Environmental Protection Department Water Resources Program Manager Stacie Greco in the press release. “Eliminating or reducing your irrigation helps to conserve the precious groundwater supply we depend upon that also provides water to our springs, lakes, and rivers.”

Most plants go dormant during the cooler winter months and require minimal watering, so most yards can go without irrigation, according to the release. The county recommends turning off irrigation systems and using them only as needed.

The irrigation restrictions will apply to city water, surface water and private wells, but they do not apply to watering vegetable gardens or fruit trees.

County staff actively enforce the restrictions and will respond to citizen complaints or concerns regarding excess watering.