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Water Shortages
Water shortages and water conservation fall under the
South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) mission for water
supply.
South Florida depends upon rainfall for its water
supply. While South Florida gets 55-60 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 10-year cycles of
drought and flood.
To manage water shortages in an organized and
efficient manner, SFWMD has adopted a Plan and a Rule to restrict water
use when supplies fall short. (Sec. 373.246, ES; Ch. 40E-21, F.A.C.).
The goal is to protect the remaining supply by conserving water,
preventing saltwater intrusion and assuring a fair distribution of
available supplies. Before declaring a water shortage and imposing
mandatory water-use restrictions, SFWMD typically alerts the public by
issuing a 'Warning'. Under a water shortage warning, residents are asked
to conserve water voluntarily.
Water-Use Restrictions
SFWMD 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. SFWMD correlates each phase of the restrictions to the overall
percentage of reductions needed. Phase II aims for a 30 percent
reduction in water use.
FOR WATER CONSERVATION INFORMATION & MATERIALS -
- Contact the SFWMD at 1-800-662-8876.
- This publication is also available on SFWMD Water Shortage web
site at the links section.
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