Ordinance 2008-298 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT r " - \. quick facts on... RESIDENTIAL/COMMUNITY Water-Use Restrictions PHASE II ( The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's pve water ma nagement districts, Our Mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, ~ood control, natural systems, and water supply. Water Shortages Water shortages and water conservation fall under the District's mission for water supply. South Florida depends upon rainfall for its water supply, While South Florida gets an average of 52 inches of rain a year, the rainfall is seasonal, falling mostly in the summer and fall. The rainfall is also cyclical, meaning there are typically 1 O-year cycles of drought and flood. To manage water shortages in an organized and efficient manner, the District has adopted a Plan and a Rule to restrict water use when supplies fall short. (See. 373.246, Florida Statutes; Ch. 40E-21, Florida Administrative Code). The goal is to protect the remaining supply by conserving water, preventing saltwater intrusion and assuring a fair distribution of available supplies. NOTE This document represents a summary of Phase II water-Use Restrictions as they apply to residential! community use. For more details, or for a copy of the water Shortage Rule visit www.sfwmd,gov Water Users Water users are grouped into categories according to use - residential. agricultural, industrial, recreational, etc. - and, according to the source from which the water comes. Residential users are the largest user-group affected by water restrictions. water restrictions DO apply to water from ALL SOURCES: public utilities, private wells, canals, lakes, ponds and rivers. Exceptions: 100 percent reclaimed water use is not restricted. Water-Use Restrictions The District has established specific water-use restrictions according to the severity of the water shortage - Phase I, moderate; Phase II, severe; Phase III, extreme; and, Phase IV, critical - each requiring an increasingly larger reduction in water use. The District correlates each phase of the restrictions to the overall percentage of reductions needed. Phase II water restrictions require water users to limit outdoor water use (see back page). These actions are intended to produce a 30 percent reduction in overall demand -..... APRIL 2007 on our water resources by all users, Because all users do not use the same amount of water, Phase II restrictions DO NOT mean that public utilities must reduce the amount of water they sell by 30 percent. It is up to ALL water users from all sources to get us to the overall 30 percent reduction. General Guidelines . All wasteful and unnecessary water use is prohibited. . Essential services involving public health and safety, such as fire fighting, are not restricted. . Water-use restrictions DO NOT apply to the use of reclaimed water. . Water restrictions DO apply to water from ALL SOURCES: public utilities, private wells, canals, lakes, ponds and rivers, Exceptions: 100 percent reclaimed water use is not restricted. . Any exemptions from the restrictions must be through a formal process, that is, by obtaining a variance from the District. Residential/Community Water-Use Restrictions PHASE II Summary Because about half the drinking water used in South Florida is for landscape irrigation, the District targets outside water use for restrictions, Irrigation is most efficient in the early-morning hours when less evaporation occurs. ;.... .............. ~:. a~-~ ~,.Gr. '''... I . ~..i~':i -: ~. ~.~...---'VU ~ f~{)(~J~/; ~U~)e.( - It's Worth Saving