Water shortage order takes effect June 13
5-30-12
LIVE OAK, FL, May 30, 2012 – The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted yesterday to adopt a Phase III Water Shortage Order in response to extreme drought conditions. The order, which requires water use restrictions for all users, will go into effect on June 13, the day after the board’s next meeting.
Under the water shortage order, restrictions, and some exemptions, will apply to residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial users within the District’s boundaries. This includes all of Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor and Union counties, and portions of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Jefferson, Levy and Putnam counties.
“Drought conditions have prompted the need to enact water use restrictions to reduce demands for water and stretch our water supplies during the drought,” said District Acting Executive Director Charlie Houder.
The 12 months ending on April 30 had the lowest rainfall total of all May-April periods since 1932, and the 12-month deficit rose to 17.1 inches at the end of April.
Groundwater levels recorded at most monitor wells in the District and some river levels set new record lows for this time of year. As of April 26, Treehouse Spring in Alachua County and Levy Blue Spring in Levy County had no observable flow for the first time in their records. Hornsby Springs in Alachua County was also not flowing, and Poe Springs, Suwannee Springs, Otter Springs, and Alapaha Rise experienced the lowest flows on record. In addition, part of the Santa Fe River near High Springs nearly stopped flowing.
Even with recent rainfall from Tropical Depression Beryl, water levels are not expected to significantly improve, said Megan Wetherington, District senior professional engineer.
Many areas in the District received at least 3-4 inches of rainfall, though localized areas received up to 14 inches.
“While this system provided assistance to our water levels, we do not expect any major improvements in most areas in the District,” Wetherington said.
The restrictions mostly target outdoor water use, particularly lawn and landscape irrigation which usually accounts for half of household use.
Following is a list of some of the restrictions that apply:
Residential:
For established lawns and landscapes watering is limited to once per week. The schedule is based upon an even/odd address numbering system as follows:
· House addresses ending in 0 or 1 may only irrigate on Monday.
· Addresses ending in 2 or 3 may only irrigate on Tuesday.
· Addresses ending in 4 or 5 may only irrigate on Wednesday.
· Addresses ending in 6 or 7 may only irrigate on Thursday.
· Addresses ending in 8 or 9 may only irrigate on Friday.
· Residences with no address (community common areas, etc.) may only irrigate on Friday.
Restrictions also apply to the time of day watering may take place. Hours for watering when using sprinklers and irrigation systems are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Hours for watering when using a hand-held hose with nozzle are 4 p.m. to 10 a.m.
Additional watering is allowed for new lawns and landscapes for the first 60 days following planting. After that time, the rules for established lawns and landscapes take effect.
Treated wastewater irrigation and irrigation for home vegetable gardens are exempt from the restrictions.
Agricultural:
Overhead irrigation by high pressure/high volume systems is prohibited between noon and 9 p.m. No off-site application or irrigation water on non-targeted areas is allowed.
There are no restrictions on the use of treated wastewater for irrigation and on low pressure/low volume irrigation systems.
Many of the area’s farmers and producers implement water conservation plans and have retrofitted their irrigation systems to increase efficiency and reduce total water use. Systems that have been certified by an independent irrigation laboratory within the past five years prior to the effective date of a water shortage order to be as efficient as practicable or are compliant with applicable water conservation best management practices are not restricted.
Other:
Car washing is limited to once per week on the designated watering day for the location. Fundraising and commercial car washes and the washing of emergency and other first responder vehicles are exempt. Outside pressure cleaning is restricted to only low-volume methods. Outside and inside aesthetic uses of water are prohibited.
Restrictions to lawn irrigation of golf courses also apply. Non-irrigation restrictions apply to commercial, industrial, and water utility users.
In addition to the outdoor restrictions, the District asks residents and businesses to conserve water indoors. Residents and businesses can take simple steps, such as fixing leaks and upgrading plumbing fixtures to water conserving models.
For a detailed list of all restrictions on water use, visit the water shortage page on the District’s website at www.mysuwanneeriver.com.
@Frankie,
Bout time you started paying attention!
There is no budget for enforcement of these regs. What they are relying on is your generations of religious training which has taught you to follow the teaching and dogma of those in authority. Yup, you been conditioned. Meanwhile those who know and understand the game drink your milkshake and leave you wondering what went wrong.
Morpheus-The Matrix- “You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.”
You were right peasant, I didn’t watch it. But I will. I’m wondering if the next step from SRWM will be to hire water police and fund them with tax dollars? What will they do, wander around and check your house number and see if you are watering your lawn? Or give you a ticket if you are washing your car? And while fixing a leak in your house is a good idea, in terms of the water shortage it makes as much sense as Obama telling us to inflate our car tires to combat OPEC and our dependency on foreign oil. Nestles will rock on, big agriculture will rock on, everyone will pay lip service and it will be business as usual. Big business. Agriculture is at least mentioned in their dictate, no mention of Nestles. But no AMOUNTS of water are mentioned and public water is still free for private profit. Anyone notice another 50 acres of WM land – bought with tax dollars – going on the auction block? Anyone want to bet that the Coggin peanut people buy it? And the first thing they will do is drill another 12 inch well, which SRWM will rubber stamp permit. If they couldn’t irrigate, they wouldn’t buy it and the WMD knows it. The springs are drying up – I looked at Falmouth the other day, dry as a bone. No flow at all. Like the Gobi. The river at a record low. The WMD was an idea that sounded good at the time. Rather like the ecoterrorist Florida Trails Association. Who could have a problem with some hikers? Who could have a problem with some scientists monitoring the watershed? Like Hitler invading the Czech Republic and Poland, these people are not our friends and do not have anyone’s interest in mind but their own. Believe them and their pretty talk of peace and concern at your peril. When you turn on the tap and your well is dry, who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters would be a better bet than SRWMD.
I wonder; will Nestles and Birdsong be required to abide by these regulations on water usage as well?
@Frank,
You know Frank, I don’t think you watched that clip I referred to below. As one of the commenters says, “If you look closely in this scene, you can see my brother, dad, uncle and grandfather. He’s the guy with the banjo.”
Yup, there is message in that clip. Who is looking for help? ” Talk about genetic deficiencies. ” Who”s picking the banjo here?” “I’m lost.”
Communication is taking place between two cultures. Which culture seems to get it?
We got a lot of work to do. Think about this quote.
“”Now, in the last hours of the cheap oil economy, the forty year miracle of the Sunbelt boom dwindles and a fear of approaching darkness grips the people there like a rumor of Satan. The long boom that took them from an agricultural backwater of barefoot peasantry to a miracle world of Sonic Drive-ins, perpetual air-conditioning, WalMarts, and creation museums is turning back in the other direction and they fear losing all that comfort, convenience, and spectacle. Since they don’t understand where it came from, they conclude that it was all a God-given endowment conferred upon them for their exceptional specialness as Americans, and so only the forces of evil could conspire to take it all away.” JMG
Cheers,
No doubt some of the children are special. They would be even more special if someone fed them and made sure they got an education. Look at the hoops people have to jump thru to adopt – financial responsibility is the least of them. Be easier to get a post office box than adopt a kid. Of course, I realize you have to be on the alert for wackos that like children the way some like cats.
The Brits had guidelines for water conservation. I just can not remember the guidelines to reduce water usage. Perhaps someone can recall and post.
@Frank,
Yup, but some of them children are special. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8
How about start with restricting nestle instead of folks keeping the grass green and the ride clean.
@Frank:
Knowing your “love factor” with the SRWMD, here’s an idea:
If you could just convince the crowd here that SRWMD had something to do with “cat raids”, you could have them stripped of power and run out of the state. (“Them” being the SRWMD. I don’t think the cat folks are going anywhere.)
Problem is, we have run out of other areas. You should have to buy a license and show financial responsibility to have a child. That would be a sane first step.
“I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species, and I realised that humans are not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet . . . develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment; but you humans do not. Instead you multiply, and multiply, until every resource is consumed. The only way for you to survive is to spread to another area.” –Agent Smith in The Matrix