Restrictions eased on car washing, pressure washing, fountains and air-conditioning
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted to modify and continue the Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions for potable water use in theTampa Bay Water service area until August 31, 2009.
Under the revised Phase IV order, lawn watering remains limited to the same once-per-week schedule from midnight to 4 a.m. for properties less than one acre. However, the Board lifted the restriction on water-based air conditioning and the provisions that eliminated residential car washing, pressure washing and fountains. Small indoor and backyard fountains also will be allowed to run eight hours a day. Please see the attachedPhase IV fact sheet for the complete list of revised restrictions and requirements.
Residents in the three-county area using other sources of water, such as private well water or water from other utilities, remain under Modified Phase III restrictions declared in October 2008.
“In an abundance of caution, we are keeping the elements of the Phase IV restriction that generate the biggest water savings while removing those that provide minimal savings but the biggest complaints,” said David Moore, District executive director.
The modified Phase IV restrictions apply to Tampa Bay Water’s six member governments, which include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties as well as the cities of Tampa, New Port Richey and St. Petersburg.
Cities and private utilities that receive water from one of the six member governments must also follow the Phase IV restrictions. The cities include, Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Kenneth City, Largo, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, St. Pete Beach, Seminole, Treasure Island, Clearwater, Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, Port Richey, Safety Harbor, South Pasadena and Tarpon Springs. Residents who receive water from Pebble Creek Utilities and Aloha Utilities in Pasco County must also follow the Phase IV restrictions. Belleair and Zephyrhills are voluntarily following the Phase IV restrictions.
The Board also voted to modify and extend Phase III restrictions forCharlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties until Sept. 30, 2009. The Board voted to allow small indoor and backyard fountains to operate eight hours a day.
The District identifies four possible levels of water shortage, beginning with “moderate” and increasing in intensity through “severe,” “extreme” and “critical.”
With most river flows in the normal range but lake levels remaining below normal, the region’s water shortage status ranges from “severe” to “critical.” The District’s color-coded Water Shortage Alert Map (attached) graphically identifies the status for each county in the District.
Tampa Bay Region
Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties
Critical (Black) Alert
Customers of several water utilities in the tri-county Tampa Bay area will remain under the District’s Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions. While the region did receive normal rainfall in June and aquifer levels are in the low normal range, lake levels are still averaging about 1.26 feet below the lowest normal readings. Although river flows are in the normal range, these flows have been declining in recent weeks. Tampa Bay Water has only 5.8 billion gallons of water in its 15-billion-gallon reservoir. Tampa Bay Water and Aloha Utilities needed to heavily pump wellfields to meet demand this spring, causing them to exceed pumping limits that are intended to provide environmental protection.
Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority Region
Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties
Extreme (Red) Alert
The four-county area remains under the District’s Modified Phase III (or Extreme) Water Shortage restrictions. While the region did receive normal rainfall in June and July and aquifer levels are in the low normal range, lakes are still averaging between two and four feet below the lowest normal readings. The Peace River is currently experiencing normal flows.
The area will continue to follow the Phase III restrictions, which were approved by the Governing Board in February. In addition to continuing to restrict lawn
watering to one-day-per-week, the Phase III order calls for local governments to strictly enforce the rules.
These restrictions are in effect until Sept. 30, 2009.
Please see the attachedPhase III fact sheet for the list of restrictions.
Remaining Counties (see map)
Severe (Orange) Alert
The remaining counties in the District continue to follow the District’s Modified Phase II (or Severe) Water Shortage restrictions. The aquifer is in the normal range, however some river flows and lakes are still below normal levels. The Phase II restrictions were approved by the District’s Governing Board in January 2007 and have been extended several times due to the ongoing drought impacts. District water restrictions include limiting lawn watering to a maximum of one day per week.
In addition to following restrictions, residents are also urged to continue conserving water in other ways indoors and outdoors at their homes and businesses. Residents should consider turning off their irrigation systems when it rains before their next watering day. With outdoor irrigation accounting for as much as 50 percent of residential water usage, skipping a week of water can result in a significant water savings.
These restrictions are in effect until Sept. 30, 2009.
For more information about watering restrictions in your area, contact your local utility, or visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/restrictions/.