In response to recent rains and subsequent improved water supply conditions over much of South Florida, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board approved a recommendation from District staff modifying the water restrictions currently in place along Florida’s East Coast from St. Lucie to Monroe counties.
As part of a series of orders approved today by the SFWMD Governing Board, the following will be effective immediately:
- A Modified Phase II water shortage declaration for the Upper and Lower East Coast Service Areas, which comprise the residential areas of St. Lucie, Martin, eastern Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, limiting all landscape irrigation to two days per week and four hours per day. Restrictions on all other uses of water will be lifted.
- A Modified Phase III water shortage declaration for all users within the geographic service areas of the Lake Worth, Lantana, Hallandale and Dania Beach Water Utilities, which have been identified as at risk for saltwater intrusion based on elevated chloride levels in monitoring wells. Users in the City of West Palm Beach will be included as part of this declaration, in concurrence with a SFWMD emergency order that allows the City, under specific conditions, to deliver water supplied from the L-8 Reservoir or from the City’s emergency well field to Clear Lake to replenish the City’s drinking water supply. The modified Phase III restrictions limit all landscape irrigation to one day per week and four hours per day; restrictions on all other uses of water will be lifted.
- Temporary limits on new water use permits in the Upper and Lower East Coast will be lifted, allowing these permit holders to use water in accordance with their respective allocations and subject to the new modified restrictions in their areas.
Because of the severe water shortage, the SFWMD Governing Board took action in April prohibiting new permit holders from using water until restrictions were lifted. Under Modified Phase II restrictions in the Upper and Lower East Coast, homes, businesses and government facilities with addresses that end in an odd number may water Wednesdays and Saturdays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.; homes, businesses and government facilities with even-number addresses may water Thursdays and Sundays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Under the Modified Phase III restrictions for water users within the geographic service areas of the four utilities at risk, homes, businesses and government facilities with addresses that end in an odd number may only water on Saturdays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.; homes, businesses and government facilities with even-number addresses may only water on Sundays from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Under both orders, other outdoor water uses, such as low-volume pressure cleaning, and car and boat washing, are no longer restricted; agricultural, industrial, commercial, golf course, and recreational water uses also are no longer restricted. These restrictions apply to users who obtain their water from public utilities, private wells, canals, ponds and lakes.
"With conditions in the Lake Okeechobee Watershed so radically different from conditions along the coast, the district is still in a severe regional water shortage. Even with modified water restrictions in some areas, we must still practice wise water use and conservation," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann. "Residents along the coast need to be prepared for the possibility that these modified restrictions may only represent a temporary reprieve. If water stages in Lake Okeechobee and other water bodies do not climb to acceptable levels by the end of the current wet season, we may find ourselves in full Phase II or Phase III restrictions again during the next dry season."
With the onset of the rainy season, water managers have stored more than 2.2 billion gallons of water in the regional system in less than two months. Based on current water elevations and recovered storage in the Water Conservation Areas, water managers have determined there is no danger of water stages dropping to unsuitable levels for the duration of the wet season – even with below average wet season rainfall – if the new modified restrictions are observed. Heavy localized rainfall and lack of storage options in these areas also have necessitated a transition to flood control operations along the East Coast. Water use restrictions in all other service areas remain in place until further notice.
Although overall conditions are improving, the Lower West Coast Service Area, which comprises Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades and a portion of Charlotte counties, has received below normal rainfall for the month of June, and water levels remain below normal for this time of year. As a result, existing Phase II restrictions continue for the Lower West Coast. Lake Okeechobee and areas directly to the north of the lake remain critically dry, with most lake stages well below normal and no flow conditions that have persisted along the Kissimmee River for more than eight months.
Consequently, Phase III restrictions remain in place for the Lake Okeechobee Service Area, whose users draw their water from the lake or surface water bodies recharged by the lake. Phase III restrictions also remain in place for agricultural users in the Indian Prairie Basin, located just southeast of Lake Istokpoga.
"The South Florida Water Management District is today taking responsible, resource-based action to modify the water restrictions based on the status and recovery of the entire system," added SFWMD Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle. "Our water managers are working diligently to assess the long-term water demands of the population, limit adverse impacts to our communities and economy and prepare for worst-case scenarios that still may arise during the next dry season."
The SFWMD continues to encourage both residential and agricultural water users throughout the District to reduce water consumption and observe water conservation practices. Along with periodic rains, irrigating two days a week or less is enough to keep lawns and landscapes healthy, saving thousands of gallons of water.
While voluntary conservation also is encouraged for users of alternative water supply sources, the use of 100 percent reclaimed water, an alternative water source, is not subject to restrictions. The use of water for health, fire, safety and other essential purposes also is not restricted.
For additional information, call the SFWMD’s toll-free Water Shortage Hotline at 800/662-8876 or contact their regional SFWMD service center. Helpful water conservation tips, TV and radio public service announcements, and specific information on current water use restrictions are available at www.sfwmd.gov/conserve.