SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Tampa Bay Water declared an “extreme Stage 3 water supply shortage” Friday, citing low rainfall, low river flows and projected low levels in the region’s reservoir.
The announcement came during a briefing March 6. Cheif Science Officer with Tampa Bay Water, Warren Hogg said the region is not facing an immediate loss of drinking water.
“To be clear, we are not running out of drinking water,” Hogg said.
Tampa Bay Water said meeting demand will require heavier reliance on groundwater and desalinated seawater. Hogg said river water is currently unavailable to the system.
“Right now, there is no river water available for us,” Hogg said. “All of our water comes from the regional reservoir.”
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He cited a rainfall deficit of about 12 inches over the past year and said, “This is the driest it’s been in about the last 50 years.”
Hogg said the Stage 3 trigger evaluates “both river flow deficits and where we expect the reservoir to be in three months from now.”
“We look forward like that so we can take actions now,” he said.
Tampa Bay Water said it does not set watering restrictions. Hogg said restrictions are set by “the local water management district and local governments,” and that as drought conditions worsen, “the restrictions could become tighter.”
The next level of restrictions, Hogg said, could be hand-watering only. “Hand-watering means from a hose with a shut-off nozzle,” he said.
Residents were urged to follow one-day-a-week watering schedules. Hogg directed residents to mywaterday.org to find their assigned watering day.
Additional conservation steps listed by Hogg include turning off the tap while brushing teeth, fixing household and irrigation leaks, and taking shorter showers. Residents planning new landscaping were urged to wait until summer rains
Tampa Bay Water said it is studying additional supply options as the region grows, including potential expansion of its seawater desalination plant. Hogg said the agency’s board will decide “within the next two years what the new sources will be to meet that growing demand.”
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