TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A Water Shortage Warning was issued Wednesday by the Governing Board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District for all surface and groundwater sources, according to the water management district.<\/p>\n
The district serves about \u201c1.5 million residents and covers an 11,305 square mile area,\u201d including Franklin, Gadsden, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla, western Jefferson, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties, per the regional state agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
The order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until canceled by the governing board, the water management district\u2019s order revealed.<\/p>\n
As a result, the order states that all users are encouraged to \u201creduce water use and to conserve water to the maximum extent possible.\u201d Furthermore, Landscaping irrigation users are encouraged to limit watering to low evaporation periods during the evening and early morning hours, according to the district.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThese voluntary measures shall not be construed to limit any activities designated to prevent the spread of fire or to save property from being destroyed by fire,\u201d per the order. \u201cthese volunteary measures do not exempt any water user from complying with applicable mandatory water use restrictions placed on public supply utility customers due to capacity problems with water supply facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The warning follows a week of drought conditions affecting the entire district, the regional state agency said. \u201cStreamflow conditions throughout the District were below-normal to extremely-below-normal and groundwater levels were continuing to decline,\u201d per the district\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n
However, WCTV reports show that drought conditions have been ongoing since mid-September<\/a>. Drought conditions are expected to persist through April, according to the order.<\/p>\n Furthermore, dry conditions have prompted some local counties to issue temporary burn bans<\/a>. <\/p>\n The warning Thursday comes a month after the Suwannee River Water Management District issued its water shortage advisory<\/a> for 15 counties.<\/p>\n Read the full order below:<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n