There will be no garbage or yard waste collection service on Labor Day, Monday, September 7th.  Regular service will resume on our next scheduled collection day.

• Garbage Pick up: Monday & Thursday
• Recycling Pick up: Monday
• Yard Waste Pick up: Thursday

Other Important Reminders:

• Three-Foot Rule – At the curb, place the carts at least 3 feet away from other carts, mailboxes, cars, trees, shrubs, fire hydrants and utility poles.
• Everything Must Fit Inside The Carts – Items left outside the carts cannot be picked up by the mechanical arm on a collection vehicle and will not be picked up.
• Garbage, recyclables, and yard waste should be placed out no later than 6:00 AM on  collection days.  Carts are required to be kept out of sight on non-collection days.

The City of Tampa and the Tampa Police Department are warning customers about a recent scam involving water bills.  A suspect posing as a water department employee has contacted several customers claiming they have outstanding water bills and if they don’t provide payment via MoneyGram, their water will be turned off.  The Tampa Police Department has one active case, but six additional customers have contacted the water department claiming similar calls.  They realized it was a scam and did not provide any money.

Detectives are looking for additional victims who may have provided MoneyGram payments to someone claiming to be a City of Tampa Water Department employee.  The City of Tampa recommends that customers who receive a phone call from anyone regarding a utility bill, hang up, and call (813) 274-8811, the City of Tampa Utilities Call Center. Customers will have the certainty that they are connected with an authorized agent before discussing any utility bill issue.

The City of Tampa offers utility customers several ways to make a payment.

• Online at www.Tampagov.net
• Over the phone using the automated system at 813-274-8811
• Mail a check or money order with remittance to:
  City of Tampa Utilities
  P.O. Box 30191
  Tampa, FL 33630-3191
• Or in person at the following locations:
  German American Club, 2105 North Nebraska
  West Shore Pharmacy, 3206 South Westshore Boulevard  *Current Bills Only*
  Any local Amscot

Payments cannot be made to the City of Tampa by any other means. As a reminder, the City of Tampa does not call utility customers to discuss billing issues or to demand payment.

The Covington Estates Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 18th is canceled.  Our next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, September 8, 2015.

A cat is missing from Live Oak Preserve.  Please see the attached flyer.  The family is expanding their search and need the residents of Covington Estates to join them in keeping your eyes out for Niko.

Our summer rains have been routinely generous. You lawn requires about an inch of water per week during the growing season, less during fall and winter. Our summer rainfall patterns have been providing the water your landscape and lawn needs to make a good summer show of healthy green growth.

Your rain sensor should be keeping your irrigation system off when your yard receives significant rainfall. If you haven’t seen a reduction in your irrigation use, please check your rain sensor and controller settings to take advantage of easy water savings now.

Here are five resources from the City of Tampa Water Department to help you to “save water save cash” during this season of plentiful rain:

1. Don’t know how to test your rain sensor? Use the Rain Sensor Checkup link to learn to check your rain sensor in 4 easy steps.
2. Still running your irrigation system without a functional rain sensor? Eligible customers can receive a free rain sensor. Use the FREE Rain Sensors link to order it online.
3. Wondering how much money your irrigation use adds to your water bill? Use our simple online Irrigation Calculator to estimate irrigation costs. Just plug in the number of minutes you plan to run each zone.
4. Experiencing high irrigation use? Can’t figure out why? Request a free irrigation evaluation by emailing: SaveWater@tampagov.net. Give your name, number and best time to reach you.
5. Installing new sod or landscape? Read “8 Things to know about Irrigating New Lawns and Landscape” before you order your sod. Consider using the 30-day establishment plan developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS.)

Looking ahead, weather experts are predicting a wetter than normal winter with higher than average rainfall through the start of 2016. Don’t miss out on the easy water savings. Get ready to dial back the run times on your irrigation controller using these seasonal settings from UF/IFAS:

Table 1.Seasonal irrigation run times for spray and rotor zones.