Coral Gables Water Restrictions 2026

Coral Gables sits in Miami-Dade County and receives its drinking water from the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, which draws from the Biscayne Aquifer. Unlike cities whose watering rules rise and fall with drought declarations, Coral Gables follows a permanent year-round schedule set by the South Florida Water Management District. That schedule, SFWMD Rule 40E-24, F.A.C., has been in effect across the District since 2010. It limits landscape irrigation to two days per week, assigned by whether an address is odd or even numbered, and prohibits watering between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on any day. Because it is a structural conservation rule rather than an emergency measure, it stays in force in wet years and dry years alike. South Florida did see short-term dry-season stress in early 2026. The District issued a water shortage warning for Miami-Dade County on February 5, 2026, and rescinded it on March 30, 2026, after March storms recharged the Biscayne Aquifer. Throughout that period the permanent two-day Rule 40E-24 schedule remained the governing watering rule for Coral Gables, and it continues unchanged now that the warning has been lifted.

This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the Coral Gables area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.