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06Mar
Tampa Bay Region Enters Extreme Regional Water Supply Shortage - Tampa Bay Water Asking Residents to Step Up and Save Water
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News Release

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brandon Moore
bmoore@tampabaywater.org
(727) 791-2304


CLEARWATER, Fla. (March 5, 2026) – Due to persistent severe drought conditions, the Tampa Bay region is facing one of the most severe regional water supply shortages in the last 50 years. As of March 1, Tampa Bay Water triggered a Stage 3 Extreme Regional Supply Shortage due to significant rainfall and river flow deficits and projected low regional reservoir levels. Tampa Bay Water wants residents to understand the significance of the water supply shortage, and how they can work as a community to help.

Why do we need to save water?

Water from rivers makes up more than 40% of the region’s drinking water supply. Due to drought conditions, river water is not an available water source. A Stage 3 Extreme Water Supply Shortage occurs when:

  • Annual average river flow deficits exceed 10 million gallons per day, and
  • The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir is forecasted to be below 93 ft elevation within three months.

“There are many opportunities to save water throughout the day; we all need to step up and make it a priority,” said Warren Hogg, chief science officer for Tampa Bay Water. “Residents did this two years ago and helped greatly reduce water demands.”

The Tampa Bay region is heading into the driest months of the year when temperatures increase, and so does water use—a combination that can result in additional restrictions on water use, not just lawn watering.

Tampa Bay Water is asking residents to step up and save water by making conservation part of daily routines. Here are some simple steps to follow:

  1. Water your lawn no more than one day per week. Find out when you can water at MyWaterDay.org.
  2. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth and save two minutes of running water every time you brush.
  3. Wait until summer when it’s raining to plant or sod. New plants and sod need a lot of water to establish; March, April and May are the driest three months of the year.
  4. Fix household leaks. The big four leaks to fix are broken sprinkler heads, leaking irrigation lines, leaky pipes or faucets, and leaking toilet flappers.
  5. Take no more than a five-minute shower. Find your favorite five-minute song and get out before the song ends.

 

The region will have the drinking water it needs, and Tampa Bay Water will continue to deliver water to all its member governments throughout the drought. To meet water demands, Tampa Bay Water will rely heavily on groundwater and seawater sources. Water-saving efforts will help extend the utility’s water supplies and leave more in the environment, where it's needed.

Regional Water Supply System Facts as of March 1, 2026:

  • Tampa Bay Water triggered a Stage 3 Regional Supply Shortage on March 1, 2026, under its Water Shortage Mitigation Plan, which includes measures to reduce regional water demands.
  • Tampa Bay Water delivered an average of 72 million gallons per day to our local member governments in February, 4.0% higher than February 2025.
  • The average rainfall deficit over the past 12 months is 11.57 inches.
  • Rainfall in February averaged 1.35 inches, 1.45 inches below normal.
  • The average streamflow deficit over the past 12 months is 18.73 million gallons per day.
  • Tampa Bay Water’s C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, the region’s water savings account, is currently storing 7.07 billion gallons, 45.6% of its 15.5-billion-gallon capacity.
  • The Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant produced an average of 12.2 million gallons per day in February.
  • The regional reservoir will help maintain the water supply to the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant until regular rain returns and river flows increase this summer.

 

About Tampa Bay Water

Tampa Bay Water is the largest wholesale water supplier in Florida, providing high-quality drinking water to its members, who in turn, supply water to more than 2.6 million residents of the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay Water member governments include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. To learn more, visit tampabaywater.org.