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Tougher Water Restrictions Expected Next Month

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Nov 15, 2007 8:27 am US/Eastern

Tougher Water Restrictions Expected Next Month

Once-a-week Watering May Be Enforced From Orlando To Fla. Keys

KEY LARGO (CBS4) ― Residents from Orlando to the Florida Keys may soon be restricted to watering their lawns just once a week.

South Florida water managers say they'll decide next month whether to impose the once-weekly watering limits. Growers in the region could also face water cutbacks of 45 percent.

The South Florida Water Management District is pushing to draw more water from the Everglades than is usually allowed, in case water supplies drop to extreme lows.

District projections show a 10 percent chance of Lake Okeechobee dipping below 7 feet above sea level before summer rains usually begin in June. Pumps relied on to deliver lake water during droughts currently don't work if the lake dips below 8 feet, but the district is working on modifications to try to keep the water flowing.

Experts say the coming dry season is likely to be worse than last year. The water level in Lake Okeechobee, the primary backup water supply for South Florida, is at a record low just above ten feet.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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