The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted on June 23 to continue the Modified Phase IV (or Critical) Water Shortage restrictions for potable water use in the Tampa Bay Water service area until July 31, 2009.
“While the region is out of the immediate crisis, we are still contending with the effects of the long-term drought,” said David Moore, District executive director. “The May rainfall helped but the summer rainy season hasn’t begun. We’re going to monitor conditions closely over the next month before easing any of the restrictions.”
The Tampa Bay Water’s six member governments 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 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.
Belleair is voluntarily following the Phase IV restrictions.
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. Please see the attached Phase 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.
The District identifies four possible levels of water shortage, beginning with “moderate” and increasing in intensity through “severe,” “extreme” and “critical.”
With some river flows and lake levels remaining below normal, the region’s water shortage status ranges from “severe” to “critical.”
Tampa Bay Region did receive above normal rainfall in May and aquifer levels are in the low normal range, lakes are still averaging about 2.48 feet below the lowest normal readings. Although river flows rebounded into the normal range in response to the May rain, these flows have been declining in recent weeks.
Tampa Bay Water only recently started refilling its 15-billion-gallon reservoir. Tampa Bay Water and Aloha Utilities needed to heavily pump well fields to meet demand this spring, causing them to exceed pumping limits that are intended to provide environmental protection.
