Think a $75 ticket for illegal lawn sprinkling sounds costly? It's a pittance compared with the next phase of water restrictions, when South Florida's losses could begin to be measured in the millions.

Those lovingly manicured lawns, less than lush now, would likely wilt and die, along with tender shrubs, withering away on a few hours of watering once a week. If the rainy season doesn't kick in, many homeowners will likely face lawns too scorched to revive. Many yard plants, particularly thirsty imports, may die as well. Landscape firms, with little growing, won't have much business until they have to start replanting all of the dead stuff.

It's a stark, parched picture, but one that will become increasingly possible if the dry spell in Florida, already among the worst in more than a century, lingers unquenched into the coming rainy season as some climate experts predict.

Despite nearly three months of escalating restrictions, the biggest counties and urban water consumers -- Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties -- have cut water use only about halfway to the hoped-for 20 percent reduction.

If conservation quickly improves, further mandatory cutbacks might be delayed two months, said Ken Ammon, director of the water supply division of the South Florida Water Management District. If not, Phase 3 restrictions, imposed only under extreme water shortages, could be coming sooner.

The first two phases of restrictions, Ammons said, were written to tighten the belt but limit impact on wallets. The district fully expects the next rounds, Phases 3 and still harsher Phase 4, will come at a cost to homeowners and businesses.

As Gov. Jeb Bush told a summit of water regulators, utilities and others in Tampa last week, the drought already "is a crisis, not a potential crisis."