Severe drought conditions have prompted water restrictions from the St. Johns River Water Management District that includes most of Lake County.
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The district implemented a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage declaration Wednesday because of declining groundwater levels and reduced surface water flows across northeast and Central Florida.
The district restrictions include Flagler, Duval, Nassau, Baker, Clay, St. Johns and Putnam counties as well as all but the Four Corners area of Lake County, which falls under the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and portions of Marion and Alachua counties.
“The move to Phase III reflects the severity of current drought conditions and the need for immediate action to reduce water demand,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Director of Water Supply and Assessment Clay Coarsey in a press release. “Protecting our water resources requires a collective effort. Residents, businesses, agricultural operations and large water users all play an important role in helping conserve supplies during these prolonged dry conditions.”
Not yet affected are the St. Johns district’s management of Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Brevard, Osceola, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Portions of Orange, Osceola and Okeechobee counties are managed by the South Florida Water Management District.
Earlier conservation efforts in the effected area were not enough to combat worsening conditions because of a lack of rainfall, the district stated.
Drought conditions would need close to 27 inches of rain at minimum to fall over the next three months in Central Florida to improve the extreme water shortage, the district stated, citing data from May 8 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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“Even with that rainfall, drought conditions are expected to persist,” the district stated.
The restrictions include landscape irrigation limited to one day per week for residential, commercial and institutional properties, including managed landscapes and athletic fields. Golf course fairway irrigation is also limited to one day a week.
And irrigation is not allowed between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Irrigation for new plantings, including sod, have also been tightened, while aesthetic water use is prohibited.
There are also additional restrictions to street and pressure washing.
“The District is urging all water users to eliminate unnecessary water use, suspend non-essential activities and prepare for the possibility of additional restrictions if drought conditions persist,” the release stated.
The complete water shortage order can be found at sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions.
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