Pinellas County is under the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Modified Phase III water shortage order, the “extreme” tier. Lawn watering is down to one day a week, and Pinellas County Utilities is authorized to fine violators $193, with no warning first. Neighbors report neighbors. Everyone is counting sprinkler days.
Here is the part almost nobody is talking about: the EPA estimates about one home in ten has a plumbing leak wasting 90 gallons or more every single day. That is more water than a typical restricted lawn session, running silently around the clock, seven days a week. Nobody gets a citation for it, because nobody knows it is happening.
The Math Nobody Runs
| Water use | Per month | Gets you fined? |
|---|---|---|
| Watering the lawn on the wrong day | a few hundred gallons | Yes, $193 |
| Hidden leak in 1 of 10 homes (EPA) | 2,700+ gallons | No, it’s invisible |
| One running toilet | ~6,000 gallons | No |
| Slab or underground line failure | can double your bill | No |
During a declared extreme shortage, the biggest conservation move most Pinellas households could make is not skipping a watering day. It is finding out whether they are the one house in ten.
The 60-Second Check While Restrictions Are On
- Turn off every faucet, fixture, and appliance that uses water.
- Find your water meter and watch the dial for a full minute.
- If it moves at all, water is leaving your pipes somewhere it should not be.
A moving meter plus a water bill that jumped is the classic pair. In Pinellas homes the usual culprits are slab leaks, underground hot water lines, and yard line failures, none of which leave a puddle you can see.
The County Will Even Help Pay for the Fix
Pinellas County Utilities customers who repair a documented leak can file for a leak adjustment, a credit on the bill for the water the leak wasted. We wrote a full guide to the county’s leak adjustment and rebate programs, including the forms and the notarized-statement path if you fixed it yourself.
What Finding It Costs
Our pricing is flat and public: $89 service call, $89 per hour, $178 total for the first hour, and detection never exceeds $350. We find most residential leaks in one visit, and you leave with the location marked, photos, and the written summary the county’s adjustment form asks for. Call (727) 239-0089, any day.
Common Questions
What are the current Pinellas watering rules?
Under the district’s Modified Phase III order, lawn watering is limited to one day a week by address, with additional limits on car washing and fountains. Rules and schedules change, so check the watering schedule page at pinellas.gov for the current version before you water.
Can I really be fined without a warning?
Pinellas County announced that utilities staff are authorized to issue $193 fines for watering violations, and that warnings ended in April 2026 under the extreme shortage order.
How do I know if I am the 1 in 10 with a hidden leak?
Do the meter test above. Warm spots on the floor, the sound of running water with everything off, a musty smell, or a bill that jumped with no habit change are the other signs.
Does fixing a leak count toward conservation?
More than almost anything else you can do. The EPA estimates household leaks waste nearly 10,000 gallons per home per year nationwide. Fixing one leak saves more water than a season of skipped watering days.
