SWFWMD institutes water shortage order.
On November 18, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (SWFWMD) governing board voted to declare a Phase I Water Shortage Order due to dry conditions throughout the 16-county region. This includes Plant City. The order is effective December 1 through July 1, 2026.
The Southwest District received lower-than-normal rainfall during the summer rainy season, and at the time of the declaration, had a 13-inch regional rainfall deficit compared to the average for the previous 12 months. Plant City and Hillsborough County are in the central counties of the District.
According to Mark Woodward, City of Plant City Water Conservation Coordinator’s research of SWFWMD’s data, during the 12-month period from November 1, 2024, through October 31, 2025, the central counties received an average of 39.36 inches of rain. SWFWMD classified this as “very dry.” In addition, water levels in the district’s water resources, such as aquifers, rivers, and lakes, are declining. Public water supplies remain in relatively good shape.
The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) three-month weather forecast, as of October 16, indicates below-normal chances for rainfall in all three regions of the district during the three-month period from November 2025 through January 2026. The temperature forecast for these same three months predicts higher-than-normal temperatures for the Southwest District.
In addition, “According to the National Weather Service, the October 2025 monthly average temperature of 78.5 degrees ranks as the tenth warmest October since 1890 when recording this data was instituted,” Woodward said. “October rainfall totals were within the normal range in the northern and central counties of the District. The central counties received an average of 1.49 inches. The rainfall totals were below normal in the southern counties.”
In an unusual decision by SWFWMD, Plant City’s watering days and times will not change, and normal, twice-per-week permission to water will remain in effect. However, if rainfall projections are correct that there will be low rainfall totals through the first half of 2026, then SWFWMD is likely to restrict watering to one day per week. On the other hand, “If rainfall returns to normal levels, or there is a surplus, then in its June meeting, SWFWMD is likely to rescind the Phase I order,” Woodward said. “It depends on the levels.”
In Plant City, rainfall is tracked by Utilities Operations at the City’s Water Reclamation Facility. November, was a dry month, with only .27 inches of rain recorded. The rains that came through over the weekend brought .73 inches on December 7, and 1.6 inches on December 8, though one location just outside of the city reported four inches of rain on December 8. The facility recorded 47.16 inches of rain between January 1 and December 8.
Despite the recent rains, on December 8, Hillsborough County extended an emergency burn ban for another seven days on all outdoor open burning in all areas of the county. The rainfall over the past weekend was not enough to alleviate the existing drought conditions. The City of Plant City has asked residents to be efficient with water usage and reduce unnecessary water use.
