ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — Northeast Florida residents are being asked to develop a healthy new relationship with thirsty landscaping as the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) dropped the hammer on water use this week.

Effective May 13, 2026, the entire region is now officially in a Phase III “extreme water shortage” order. This translates, for those of us not fluent in Water Management District-ese, to a strict one-day-per-week irrigation limit for lawns and gardens across residential, commercial, and institutional properties. So, if your sprinkler system has been living its best life daily, it’s time for a serious conversation.

According to Clay Coarsey, the district’s director of water supply and assessment, this is all part of a “collective effort” to conserve during prolonged dry conditions. That collective effort now includes golf course fairways being relegated to one weekly drink, and a blanket ban on aesthetic water use, street washing, and pressure washing. Also, forget those sneaky midday sprinkles; irrigation is now officially banned between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The district urges everyone to check their irrigation systems for leaks and make sure they’re not accidentally watering the sidewalk – which, let’s be honest, has been a favorite pastime for many St. Augustine sprinkler heads. While public systems in parks and medians might still run, a lot of those use reclaimed water, not the potable groundwater your lawn is currently coveting.

Prepare for the possibility of further restrictions, because if this drought keeps up, we might all be asked to personally hand-deliver a single tear to our shrubs once a month.