ORLANDO - Central Florida’s continuing drought, coupled with water restrictions that limit landscape irrigation to two nights a week, has turned many yards brown and wilted many plants in the state. Irrigation contractors in areas under watering restrictions need to stay on top of fluctuating watering bans and work on ways to educate their customers how to comply with the rules to avoid stiff penalties.
Florida counties have varying degrees of enforcement for water rules. The following listing illustrates some of those rules and recent enforcement in three counties:
ST. JOHN’S COUNTY
- The St. John’s River Water Management District in January prohibited landscape irrigation between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to conserve dwindling underground water reserves, which are wasted to evaporation if used for irrigation during the middle of the day.
- The restrictions call for residents to water only twice a week and then no more than 3/4 of an inch at a single watering.
- Odd-numbered addresses can water Wednesdays and Saturdays. Even-numbered addresses can water Thursdays and Sundays. Violators face fines of $50 to $500 and could have water service cut off.
- Additionally, St. Johns River Water Management District has set a 15 percent reduction goal on use of water in areas under its jurisdiction.
SEMINOLE COUNTY
Altamonte Springs
- Altamonte Springs officials continue to be the most aggressive about enforcing watering rules. Since late January, the city has issued more than 2,500 citations totaling more than $41,000 in fines, said John Peters, public works director.
- Altamonte water users get a single warning.
- Altamonte Springs has a recycled water system and has been able to reach and surpass the 15 percent reduction goal.
Sanford
- Sanford has relied more on voluntary compliance and an education program that reminds customers about watering restrictions.
- Sanford water users get two warning letters before the first fine. As of May 9, Sanford had issued two citations.
VOLUSIA COUNTY
- Since October, Volusia officials have been patrolling the streets, looking for watering violators, but the county has been reluctant to issue tickets.
- County inspectors issued 320 warning tickets over a seven-month period but discovered the legal wording on the tickets would prevent them from taking further action.
Sanford and Casselberry officials say the 15 percent reduction goal set by the St. Johns River Water Management District is tougher to reach for those cities because they use treated wastewater for landscaping. The water management district is concerned with groundwater, and recycled water doesn’t count.
Also, residents in both cities tend to use less water for landscaping than cities with more affluent residents because the yards are smaller and less money is spent on landscaping, so it’s harder to substantially reduce water use, officials said.
Sanford and Casselberry have had reductions ranging from 5 percent to 11 percent for any single month this year, but the minimum in Altamonte has been 17 percent, said Peters.
Despite people who are ignoring water restrictions, utilities say they are seeing big drops in water consumption this year. They are crediting the majority of homeowners who are sacrificing the lushness of their lawns.
The above article is adapted from an article by Orlando Sentinel writers Ramsey Campbell, Robert Sargent Jr. and Robert Perez - www.orlandosentinel.com.
