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Swiftmud Tightens Water Sanctions

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By NEIL JOHNSON

njohnson@tampatrib.com

Published: April 1, 2009

Updated: 04/01/2009 12:13 am

BROOKSVILLE - Put away your pressure washers, cancel the school band's carwash and reset your sprinkler timers.

Oh, yeah, and turn off your decorative fountain unless it uses reclaimed water or saltwater.

As of Friday, the Tampa Bay area will have its toughest-ever water restrictions, courtesy of Tuesday's unanimous vote by the Southwest Florida Water Management District's governing board.

The changes most likely to be noticed will shrink the window when homeowners can water, and ban the use of pressure washers except by commercial operators.

The new rules are a reaction to a continued drought and expected high levels of pumping at wellfields, the only source of water left for most of the region.

The restrictions apply in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. They take effect Friday and last until June 30.

Tampa, with its reliance on the Hillsborough River for most of its water, has even tougher restrictions. Starting Friday, most city residents can water lawns and shrubs only by hand.

Dave Moore, the water district's director, said after the vote that the measures should meet the goal of cutting water use by 20 percent if everyone complies.

A district study estimates the changes will mean the loss of about 350 jobs, mostly in the landscaping industry, and will cost the area about $19 million.

The prospect of such financial hits helped draw a standing-room-only crowd to the board's meeting in Brooksville. Speakers ranged from residents who live near wellfields to owners of pressure cleaning and landscaping companies.

Among the rule changes:

•Residents not supplied by the city of Tampa can water lawns between midnight and 4 a.m. on their designated watering day if their lots are smaller than one acre. Those living on larger lots can also water from 8 p.m. to midnight.

•Hand-watering landscaping or using micro-irrigation, once allowed any day, is limited to three days a week.

•Homeowners are banned from doing their own pressure cleaning.

•Car washing at home or by charity carwashes is prohibited. You can only use commercial carwashes, most of which recycle their water.

•All decorative fountains must be turned off.

The changes also further tighten Tampa's restrictions, cutting the hours when city residents can water by hand.

There are exemptions to the district's new rules.

Belleair, Dade City, Dunedin, Plant City, San Antonio, Temple Terrace and Zephyrhills are not affected because those cities do not get their water from Tampa Bay Water.

Also, property owners with private wells or shallow irrigation wells remain on their current watering schedule.

The district, known as Swiftmud, considered imposing tighter regulations in February but decided to wait for a review of how the changes would affect businesses and to see whether the existing rules would save enough water.

The district study showed that those regulations, which included a total ban on pressure washing, would have cost the region more than 2,200 jobs and more than $80 million.

The decision to allow commercial pressure cleaning was a huge relief to James Kotow, who said it means he probably will be able to keep his business open.

Tampa Bay Water, which provides water to Hillsborough, including some of Tampa; Pinellas, including St. Petersburg; and Pasco, including New Port Richey; has only its wellfields to rely on until summer rains begin.

The utility's reservoir in southern Hillsborough is dry, and there is no flow in rivers to augment the wellfields.

Down the line, Swiftmud board members may consider imposing more rules on local utilities.

One proposal discussed would be an order forcing utilities to enact surcharges during droughts on those using the most water.

Board member Hugh Grambling said water departments have not been robust enough in trying to cut use. "I don't think they've stepped up to the plate to avoid environmental damage," he said.

WATERING RULES

For details on Swiftmud's new watering restrictions, go to www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731.

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