Governing Board extends water restrictions through September

Asks the public to help our water resources recover

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted unanimously today to extend the current Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, through Sept. 30.

The Governing Board chose to extend the term of the water shortage order because impacts from the two-year drought continue despite the start of the annual rainy season. In particular, regional public supply systems, including Tampa Bay Water and the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, remain at-risk due to low storage. Tampa Bay Water’s supplies have not returned to pre-drought conditions and the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority continues to rely on two emergency authorizations to help meet current water demand.

“We need people to continue to be vigilant,” said David Moore, District executive director. “We appreciate their efforts to conserve through the dry season and we need them to continue. Now is the time to try and help our water resources recover.”

One way residents can help is by reducing their lawn watering during the summer rainy season. Residents are encouraged to skip their watering day if they’ve recently received rain.

The Governing Board took into consideration that despite recent rain, the District continues to experience depressed hydrologic conditions.

Although the District’s 16-county region has received about five inches of rain so far this month, this represents only 67 percent of the normal amount for June. For the 24-month period of June 2006 through May 2008, the Districtwide rainfall deficit is 17.2 inches.

All 16 counties within the District are experiencing below-normal groundwater conditions. In general, groundwater conditions are currently categorized as moderately abnormal.

The Withlacoochee River is experiencing substantially below-normal conditions and lakes throughout the District are two to five feet below the bottom of the normal range.

“While the recent rains have been beneficial, we have not seen enough improvement in the water resources to lift restrictions,” said Lois Sorensen, the District’s demand management coordinator. “Fortunately, residents do not need to water their lawns now that it is raining.”

The water shortage order, which has been in effect since Jan. 16, 2007, was slated to expire June 30.

The order has also been expanded to include all of unincorporated Marion County. This is consistent with the District’s Interagency Agreement with the St. Johns River Water Management District. Marion County is divided between the two water management districts, with the boundary roughly being Interstate 75. Staff from both water management districts worked together earlier this year to develop the new uniform lawn and landscape irrigation measures.

The order includes restrictions that apply to the use of water from public and private water utilities as well as the use of all wells and surface water sources (ponds, rivers, etc.).

The following is a schedule and summary of the restrictions unless your city or county has a different once-per-week schedule:

For more information about water restrictions, the drought and how you can conserve water, visit the District’s web site atwww.WaterMatters.org/drought.

Questions concerning water restrictions can be answered during normal business hours by calling 1-800-848-0499 or 1-800-423-1476, extension 4498.