We may have gotten some rain over the weekend in South Florida, but that doesn't necessarily mean our dry spell is through. As a precaution, regional water managers have created several water-use restrictions that go into effect Monday.
It could be a glimpse into what we'll have to deal with if drought like conditions don't ease in South Florida.
The main restriction limits lawn watering to a once-per-week schedule determined by house number (odd or even) regardless of property size. People can water their lawns before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
These new guidelines will remain in place until Aug. 1, but they could be lifted prior to that if the area receives adequate rainfall in the meantime.
The dry season runs from October to May, when rainfall is typically the lowest, and the wet season from June through September, when well over half of the annual rain usually falls.
The tighter regulations affect a total of 16 counties in Central Florida, which include Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota. Rules also impact portions of Charlotte, Highlands, Lake, Levy, Marion, Polk, and Sumter, as well as Gasparilla Island.