Jan 15, 2008 12:25 am US/Eastern
Tough New Water Restrictions Begin Tuesday
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Starting Tuesday, South Florida will be under some of the tightest water restrictions ever imposed by the South Florida Water Management District.
The new modified Phase III restrictions will be in effect from Orlando to the Keys and it will be the first time ever the water district has imposed the severe restrictions uniformly throughout its 16 county territory.
Starting on January 15th, odd numbered addresses will only be allowed to water their lawns on Monday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. or 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Even numbered addresses will only be allowed to water their lawns on Thursday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. or 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information the restrictions
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"Our lawns do not need to be watered more than once a week during the dry season, and with seasonal rainfall to help, it should be more than enough to maintain a healthy lawn," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann. "We appreciate the public's understanding and compliance with these necessary restrictions that will result in measurable water savings."
Under the modified Phase III plan, watering will be allowed on any day for a ten minute period, using a hose that has a shut off nozzle, any stressed or dying plant. Also additional watering days are allowed for new landscaping or new lawns up to 60 days.
Low volume watering, which utilizes drip hoses or microjet systems which apply water directly to a plant's roots, will no be restricted but the district asks that it be voluntarily reduced. Golf courses will also be asked to voluntarily cut back their water use by 45-percent.
There will be no restrictions on car or boat washing, pressure cleaning, decorative fountains, and swimming pools.
Click Here for a full listing of the 'do's and don'ts' under the modified Phase III plan.
The SFWMD says despite all of the rain South Florida has had over the last few months, we still haven't recovered from the drought. Lake Okeechobee remains approximately five feet below normal and more than a foot below its previous record low for the date. Water managers say households across Miami-Dade and Broward use 6 million gallons of water a day with half of that being used to water lawns. The district hopes the modified Phase III restrictions will reduce water use by 45-percent across the 16 county region.
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