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Drought-Stricken Bay Area May Get Tighter Water Rules

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The restrictions sought by Tampa Bay Water have never been imposed in the region.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 23, 2009

TAMPA - Tougher water restrictions may be on the way as drought tightens its grip on the Tampa Bay region and the calendar marches closer to the driest months of the year.

Tampa Bay Water, the wholesale water supplier to utilities in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, wants the Southwest Florida Water Management District to impose more limits on top of rules that already are the state's most restrictive.

The district's governing board will consider the request when it meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Brooksville.

New rules could mean fewer hours to water lawns, fewer days to use a hose or micro-irrigation on landscaping, tighter limits on watering new plants and no car washing at home.

The restrictions sought by Tampa Bay Water have never been imposed in the region and were developed after the last drought that lasted from 1998 through 2001.

Among the potential changes if the board approves the request:

• Watering of new landscaping except grass would be allowed daily for the first 15 days, three times a week for the next 30 days and twice a week for the next 15 days. Currently, watering is allowed daily for 30 days, then on alternate days for 30 days.

• Hours for weekly lawn watering may be cut from the current midnight to 8 a.m. or 6 p.m. to midnight.

• Hose watering or micro-irrigation of landscaping except grass is allowed daily except between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. That may be cut to fewer hours and three days a week.

• Car washing may be limited to commercial car washes that recycle water or to charity car washes. Currently, vehicle owners may wash cars at home using a hose with a shut-off nozzle.

The water management district is refining details of the restrictions and has not decided whether to recommend approval or give current rules more time to cut water use.

Since 2006, rainfall in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough is more than two feet below normal, or roughly six months' worth of rain.

On a scale of 1 to 100, the flow in the Hillsborough River, Tampa's main source for drinking water, is a 2. The river can only provide about half the water Tampa needs each day, meaning the city must lean on its reservoir, which already is diminished to a level usually seen in May, and buy water from Tampa Bay Water.

River flow is expected to drop as the dry season peaks in April and May.

A 15-billion gallon reservoir Tampa Bay Water normally relies on to provide about a quarter of the region's supply will probably run dry next month.

Rainfall recorded at 18 locations around Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas is running below normal.

Gauges monitored by the water management district show this month's rainfall so far in Pinellas and Pasco is only 29 percent of normal. In Hillsborough, it's 26 percent.

So far this year, Hillsborough has received 85 percent of typical rainfall, Pinellas has 75 percent and Pasco has 68 percent.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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