Stricter measures are about to begin as the water shortage has officially become “extreme.”
The Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage and has called for associated water use restrictions.
The updated restrictions are effective as of Friday, April 3 and will continue through July 1.
Sumter County and parts of Lake County are included in the SWFWMD declaration.
Wildwood officials say the city has reduced irrigation and limited operational hours of ornamental fountains to cope with the extreme water shortage. However, the city does not plan to implement a water shortage surcharge.
“Rainfall and water supplies are cyclical,” said Wildwood City Manager Jason McHugh. “While they typically rise significantly during the rainy season, they can drop to levels of concern during the dry season. We want to emphasize the importance of responsible water use, particularly during this time, and will be ramping up our own efforts in and around city facilities.”
Below are the SWFWMD restrictions:
Schedule: Once-a-week watering, restricted to 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m..
Car Washing/Fountains: Car washing is restricted to the scheduled watering day with a shutoff nozzle. Fountains are limited to four hours daily.
Low-Volume Watering: Hand-watering, micro-irrigation, and soaker hoses are allowed any day, but only before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m..
Affected Counties: Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Sumter, and parts of Charlotte, Highlands, and Lake.
Learn more at: https://tinyurl.com/SWFWMD-Restrictions.
Villagers can seek specific guidance at https://www.districtgov.org/services/utilities/