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Water Restrictions Extended, Might Be Toughened

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By MIKE SALINERO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 27, 2007

Regional water authorities on Monday extended a once-a-week irrigation restriction through June, but warned more drastic measures, including a total outdoor watering ban, might be in store if the current drought continues into next year.

The governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District unanimously approved extending the once-a-week watering restriction, first passed in January and set to expire Friday. Board members said they also will probably approve sterner measures in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties, where the water authority has just 100 days of water supply in storage.

Conditions are not as dire in the Tampa Bay area, where October rainfall boosted the water stored in the Bill Young Regional Reservoir and Tampa's Hillsborough River reservoir.

The 16 counties in the water management district are in the 19th month of below-normal rainfall, with an average annual rainfall deficit of 9.6 inches. Rivers and groundwater are not being replenished, forcing water managers to look for new sources to supplement storage heading into the dry season.

Making matters worse is that the coming eight months are predicted to be even drier than usual because of a weather condition in the Pacific Ocean called La Nina.

"We're in a serious situation right now," water district spokesman Michael Molligan said. "We're very concerned about it, and we expect it to get worse in the spring. We're asking people to conserve and be as water efficient as possible."

Molligan said the district will begin a grass-roots campaign next month promoting conservation to churches, businesses, civic groups and homeowners' associations. The district is asking people to voluntarily skip a week of watering during the cool months when grass and plants don't need as much moisture.

"If you are over watering now, plants and grass will be damaged much more during the drought," Molligan said.

Several board members, alarmed by the drought forecasts presented by the district's hydrologic data manager Granville Kinsman, pressed for more action.

Board vice chairman Neil Combee of Polk County said he saw roadside signs in the Atlanta area asking people to conserve water. Atlanta and the rest of northern Georgia are suffering the worst drought in recorded history.

"Obviously, a lot of local governments don't like yard signs, but I wonder if that's something we should pursue," Combee said.

Molligan agreed to look into the feasibility of using roadside signs and report back to the board.

The district board directed Executive Director Dave Moore to attend the Sarasota and Manatee county commission meetings today to inform commissioners of the gravity of the situation so they might move to enact conservation measures of their own. If they fail to do so, the district governing board could approve tighter restrictions at its Dec. 18 meeting.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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