The Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as Swiftmud, first imposed the tight restrictions March 31 in the face of a severe drought and a water shortage fueled in part by problems with Tampa Bay Water's cracked reservoir.
Under the tighter rules, known as Phase IV, residents could water lawns only once a week between midnight and 4 a.m. Restrictions also hit everything from car washing to ornamental fountain use.
But the board scaled the Phase IV rules back slightly last month, allowing residents to wash cars once a week at home, use a pressure washer at home and run ornamental fountains for four hours a day. Groups like Boy Scout troops and churches could once again hold car washes to raise money.
Also dropped by Swiftmud then: a hard-to-enforce requirement that buildings with water-based air-conditioning systems set thermostats not lower than 78 degrees.
Steady summer rains convinced Swiftmud board members meeting in Brooksville Tuesday that they could revert to the slightly looser watering restrictions that were in place last year.
Under the older restrictions, known as Phase III, lawn watering is still limited to one day a week, but can occur anytime before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Sprinkling at night helps keep water from evaporating quickly in the hot sun.
The board will review the restrictions the end of September.
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