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Highlands Today

Water Management: There's Still A Drought

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: November 3, 2008

SEBRING - Snowbirds coming back for the winter might want to know that restrictions on lawn watering continue to remain in effect.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board recently extended the one-day-a-week restrictions through Feb. 27.

They were supposed to end Sept. 30, the conclusion of the district's four-month rainy season.

"The Governing Board chose to extend the term of the water shortage order because the region is still impacted by the two-year drought and portions of the district did not receive enough rain during the annual wet season," a district press release stated.
Highlands County is in Phase II water restrictions with some added conditions.

"We could be in a very serious situation by spring time due to abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions," said Robyn Felix, spokeswoman for the district. "We have completed one month of the dry season.

"All our rivers are below average water levels and our lakes are still impacted. We have a long time before we hit the rainy season in June."

The district relies on local governments and utilities to enforce the water restrictions.

The City of Sebring Police Department and its code enforcement division issued 24 notices for water restriction violations between Oct. 1, 2007 and Sept. 30, according to Police Cmdr. Steve Carr.

"Our city ordinance requires we give out a warning prior to giving a citation," said Carr. According to the district's records, the Sebring Police Department reported issuing 22 warnings and 14 citations.

The first citation costs violators $25. The second is $50 and the third is criminal, he added. The criminal citation is equivalent to a second-degree misdemeanor and can result in a fine up to $500 and/or 60 days in jail.

Unhappy with the old way of writing citations, the department came up with a new one.

"We found the need to have a better system in place and we have a new citation now," he said. "Police officers are still receiving training on them, but the primary responsibility of enforcement still falls on the code enforcement division."
Highlands County water restriction enforcement is still complaint-driven. However, according to April Hartseil, interim lead code enforcement officer, the county responded to 227 complaints between Oct. 1, 2007 and Sept. 30.
Highlands County Code Enforcement issued 77 warnings and one citation, according to the district's records.

Bonnie Pruitt is the Town of Lake Placid's code enforcement officer and police officer. She said Friday that she has issued no citations for water restriction violations since Oct. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30.

"The ones I've seen watering were on the days they were supposed to," she said. "The citizens of Lake Placid take their water shortage very seriously and they all try to comply."

The Avon Park Police Department issued one citation recently, according to Police Cmdr. Mike Rowan. The city's code enforcement department issued 73 citations.

After two years of drought, the area was beginning to experience normal rainfall patterns, according to the district. But rainfall in September was below normal and surface water and ground water systems started their seasonal declines earlier than expected.

Much of Florida received significant rainfall from Tropical Storm Fay, but the storm skirted the region and subsequent tropical systems brought drier air, rather than rainfall, the news release stated.

"Despite the better rainfall this past year, we have not seen recovery to pre-drought conditions," said Granville Kinsman, hydrologic data manager.

As of Sept. 22, groundwater levels for the northern, central and southern regions of the district have already peaked and are beginning to decline, the press release stated. The southern region includes Highlands.

Here is the once-per-week watering schedule:

•Addresses with "house numbers" ending in 0 or 1 may only irrigate on Monday.

•Addresses with "house numbers" ending in 2 or 3 may only irrigate on Tuesday.

•Addresses with "house numbers" ending in 4 or 5 may only irrigate on Wednesday.

•Addresses with "house numbers" ending in 6 or 7 may only irrigate on Thursday.

•Addresses with "house numbers" ending in 8 or 9 may only irrigate on Friday.

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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