Tampa's Water Enforcement Program was created in 1993 to ensure
compliance with the Water Use Restriction Ordinance passed by Tampa's
City Council and to help educate and inform residents about efficient outdoor water
use practices.
The city of Tampa's current
Water
Use Restrictions
allow twice per week watering and are enforced through Tampa's Water
Enforcement Program on a year-round basis, 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.
Violating Tampa's water use restrictions is a
civil infraction, and, as a result, all water use Citations issued
by the City are handled by the Hillsborough County Circuit Court.
Enforcement Office
If you receive a City of Tampa water use
Citation and believe that the water use for which you were cited is
one of the permitted uses defined in the applicable
water use restrictions, please call (813) 349-5014 or e-mail
within five (5) calendar days after
receiving the Citation.
Tampa's Water Enforcement Office is open Monday to Friday, 8 am.
to 5 p.m. to answer questions about the issuance of Citations
and Warnings, and to provide general guidance about the ordinance
and responding to citations.
Please direct all questions to (813) 349-5014 or send
an E-mail to
Due to high call volume, please allow up to 24-hours for a representative to return your call.
Restriction and Enforcement Jurisdiction
Tampa's
Water
Use Restrictions apply to all Tampa Water Department customers,
both residential and commercial, inside and outside Tampa city
limits.
The current Water Use Restrictions are available 24 hours-a day,
7 days-a-week by calling the Water Conservation Hotline at (813)
274-8036.
To report a Water Use Violation inside Tampa's city limits call the
Water Use Violation Hotline at (813) 274-8036 or report
a violation online.
Schedule of Penalties
Violating Tampa's
Water Use Restrictions may result in fines ranging from $100 to $450. The fine assessment per violation observed inside Tampa's
city limits is as follows:
First Citation
$100
Second Citation
$200
Third
and Subsequent Citations
Mandatory
court appearance in addition to a fine of up to $450. The penalty for third and
subsequent violations is assessed during the mandatory court
appearance.
If the total penalty assessed on the citation is not paid within
30-days following the date on the citation, your case will be placed
on the docket for the hearing date listed on the bottom of your
Citation. Failure to appear in court typically results in a
judgment against the defendant. Failure to settle any fines
assessed by the
Court may result in increased penalties up to and
including property liens.
Citation Handling
If a Citation is issued to your residence or business, you have two options
in handling the Citation:
Option 1
Pay the fine
by sending a photocopy of the Citation along with your payment in
the form of a money order, cashier's check or personal check,
payable to:
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Attention: Civil Infractions
P.O. Box 3360
Tampa, FL 33601
The payment of all fines and fees associated
with the Citation must be made through the Hillsborough County Clerk
of Court, as noted on the face of the Citation. Specific information
for making payment by mail or in person is located on the reverse of
the Citation.
The City of Tampa cannot process citation payments
sent directly to the Tampa Water Department or to Tampa's Utility
Accounting Division. Any payment attempted in this manner will be
returned to the citation recipient for proper handling and may cause
delays in payment that result in additional court fees.
To ensure timely processing
of your payment, please indicate the defendant's name, address,
and Citation number on the front of the check.
Payments Locations
Clerk of Circuit Court
Misdemeanor / County Criminal
7th Floor, Room 752
700 Twiggs Street
Tampa, FL 33602 Monday - Friday (8 AM - 5 PM)
Clerk of Circuit Court
Brandon Regional Service Center
311 Pauls Drive
Suite 110
Brandon, FL 33511 Monday - Friday (8 AM - 5 PM)
Clerk of Circuit Court
Plant City Courthouse
302 North Michigan Avenue
Plant City, FL 33563 Monday - Friday (8 AM - 5 PM)
Clerk of Circuit Court
SouthShore Regional Service Center
410 30th St. S.E.
Ruskin, FL 33570 Monday - Friday (8 AM - 5 PM)
Payments must be received within thirty (30) days from the date that
the Citation was issued if you do not intend to contest the Citation
in Court.
Option 2
If the water use for which you were cited does not meet one of the
permitted uses defined in the applicable
water use restrictions and you wish
to contest the Citation, you may elect to appear in court on the date
noted on the Citation to present your information to the judge for a
decision. We recommend that you refer to the correspondence included
with the Citation packet for additional information about contesting a
Citation.
To contest the Citation, you must appear in Court at on the date specified on the
bottom of the Citation. Hearings are held at Hillsborough
County Courthouse, North Annex, 801 Twiggs St., Courtroom 53A, Tampa, FL 33602.
If you elect to contest the Citation and are found
to have violated the ordinance provisions referenced on the enclosed
citation, s. 28.2402 F.S. requires the Court to assess an additional
$40 in Court Costs for deposit into the Clerk's Fine and Forfeiture
Fund. Other Court Costs may also be
assessed in addition to the total penalties and the Clerk's Fine and
Forfeiture Fund fee.
Please note: Failure to pay the fine and fee shown on the face of the Citation
and failure to appear in court on the date shown on the face of the
Citation results in a default judgment of guilty when the case is called in
court. All Citation recipients receiving a default judgment of guilty for
failure to pay and failure to appear are notified of the judgment and
resulting fines and fees by the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court.
To request a continuation of a court
date or discuss options for paying a City of Tampa water use citation,
please contact the Clerk of Court at (813) 276-2029, ext. 4325.
For more information about Tampa's Water
Enforcement Program, contact the Tampa Water Department's Distribution
and Consumer Services Division, at 274-8121.