Miami-Dade County is asking all residents to conserve water as the ongoing drought continues to worsen with little rain in the forecast. 

The message followed a Water Shortage Warning issued by the South Florida Water Management District on Saturday triggered by ongoing drought conditions and increased water usage. Similar warnings have also been issued for Collier, Glades, Highlands, Lee and Monroe counties.

Ongoing drought conditions because of below average rain and recent increases in water usage have caused declining water levels in Miami-Dade County’s water supply, the Biscayne aquifer. Conditions are expected to worsen with no significant rain in the foreseeable future and the dry season typically lasting through the end of July. 

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, South Florida including Miami-Dade are currently in a moderate to severe drought. The current  Keetch-Byram drought index, or KBDI, is currently 600 to 650 over most of South Florida including Miami-Dade. The KBDI is a continuous reference scale for estimating the dryness of the soil and duff layers.

“Below-average rainfall continued across South Florida for the month of January into early February 2026 which has resulted in a worsening of drought conditions across the region. Widespread Severe drought conditions have developed across the majority our our area with the introduction of Extreme drought over portions of Southern Everglades,” a statement from the National Weather Service Miami-South Florida said last week.

The weather service is forecasting rainfall to continue to be below average in the week ahead. 

The current water shortage warning did not impose any mandatory restrictions but South Florida Water Management District has warned those measures could be implemented if conditions continue to worsen. 

“The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department continues to deliver its essential services to 2.8 million people each day without interruptions,” a statement from the County said. “The department is closely monitoring system operations and water levels across its well fields and treatment plants.” 

Miami-Dade County along with all of South Florida are currently at moderate risk of fire danger, according to the Florida Forest Service, which uses the Wildland Fire Danger Index to estimate the potential for a fire to start and require suppression action on any given day. The FDI, however, does not take into account how quickly a fire could grow or how difficult it would be to suppress.

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As of Wednesday midday, the Forest Service reported more than 120 active wildfires across the state, although none in Miami-Dade County. Conditions in dozens of counties along the Gulf coast and in central Florida have forced those local county governments to enact burn bans. 

Some ways Miami-Dade residents are being encouraged to conserve water are:

Skip your watering lawn until the warning is lifted, or only spot water areas of the lawn or landscaping to offset die-off.

Avoid washing cars or boats or filling pools.

Only run full loads when using your dishwasher or washing machine.

Changing the times you use water at your home, with peak usage typically occurring in the early morning and evening and causing the greatest strain on water treatment plants.

Purchases and install high-efficiency toilets, faucets and showerheads and be eligible for Miami-Dade County rebates of up to $200.

Inspect the interior and exterior of your home for any leaks. 

Jessica De Leon is a general assignment reporter at the Key Biscayne Independent.