The St. Johns River Water Management District today issued a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage declaration in response to ongoing exceptional drought conditions, declining groundwater levels and reduced surface water flows across northeast and central Florida. The district includes 18 counties from Nassau to Indian River, including Flagler and its municipalities.
“The move to Phase III reflects the severity of current drought conditions and the need for immediate action to reduce water demand,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Director of Water Supply and Assessment Clay Coarsey “Protecting our water resources requires a collective effort. Residents, businesses, agricultural operations and large water users all play an important role in helping conserve supplies during these prolonged dry conditions.”
District staff evaluated rainfall totals, aquifer levels, river flows and drought indicators before recommending the action. Despite earlier conservation measures, conditions have continued to worsen due to a lack of rainfall, requiring additional mandatory restrictions to help protect regional water resources.
Don’t be fooled by torrential rains that left many areas of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach briefly flooded on Tuesday.
“I can fully understand why have a lot of rain one-day and then seeing a drought notice the next can seem a little odd,” Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said. “The main reason you see this is because drought determinations are made via analysis of a variety of conditions over a period of time (broader climate and ground conditions), where seeing localized heavy rains, and storm water lakes/canals filling up is more immediate. Also, heavy rain doesn’t necessarily mean the water gets to where it needs to go – some of it just runs off away from areas that need it.”
The drought index across the state averages 433 on the 800-point drought index, with 800 being drought conditions, where the ground is entirely parched, and zero reflecting saturated grounds. Averages can vary significantly from county to county, and often from regions to regions within counties. For example, the drought index for Flagler today was 292, a drop of 56 points from the previous day. It’s not the kind of number that would suggest drought conditions. In Volusia County, however, the index is at 522, a level when wildfires start popping up. In St. Johns County, it’s 385m and in Putnam, 437.
Surface conditions are not indicative of the aquifer level, which has been falling.
Under Phase III restrictions, landscape irrigation continues to be limited to one day per week for residential, commercial and institutional properties, including managed landscapes and athletic fields. Restrictions on irrigation for new plantings, including sod, have also been tightened.
Additional Phase III measures:
- The water shortage order is being expanded into the District’s portion of Lake County.
- Commercial, industrial and institutional users must suspend certain non-essential water uses.
- Irrigation for golf course fairways is limited to one day per week.
- Aesthetic water use–decorative uses in fountains, waterfalls, reflective and ornamental pools–is prohibited, and additional restrictions apply to activities such as street and pressure washing.
- Landscape irrigation is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The district is urging all water users to eliminate unnecessary water use, suspend non-essential activities and prepare for the possibility of additional restrictions if drought conditions persist.
Outdoor irrigation remains one of the greatest demands on potable water supplies, making conservation efforts especially important during extended periods of dry weather.
The district’s Water Shortage Plan allows for progressively stronger measures if conditions continue to worsen. Taking steps to conserve water now can help reduce strain on water resources and lessen the need for additional restrictions in the future.
If you have not already reset your irrigation timer so that irrigation only occurs one day per week and only between 6 and 8 a.m., this should be done immediately. Residents are also encouraged to inspect irrigation systems for leaks and ensure sprinklers are only watering landscaped areas, not streets, sidewalks or driveways, to help prevent unnecessary water waste during ongoing drought conditions.
To view the complete water shortage order, including detailed requirements for each water use category and water conservation tips, visit sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions.
Please note, residents may occasionally see irrigation systems operating in public spaces such as parks, medians and common areas during the water shortage. In many cases, as in Palm Coast, these systems use reclaimed water, which is a highly treated recycled water source that helps reduce demand on potable groundwater supplies and relieve pressure on sewer plants while reducing the amount of recycled water that ends up in the Intracoastal. While conservation remains important across all water sources, some reclaimed water systems must continue operating to maintain system function or manage storage capacity.
To learn more about reclaimed water and its beneficial uses, go here.
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