Lee County and SFWMD roll out new mandatory water restrictions

Reporter: Stephanie Byrne Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News.

South Florida Water Management District and Lee County announced new mandatory water restrictions Friday.

We have a schedule below and an explanation of the rules and why they are needed.

“We’ve gotten a little bit of some much-needed rain,” said Chauncey Goss, the chairman of the SFWMD governing board. “But not enough to protect our groundwater resources.”

“Since September, we’re about seven and a half inches below what we’d normally be at this time of year on average,” Goss said.

That’s why SFWMD and Lee County have issued a countywide mandatory irrigation restriction.

“I asked the staff, and they said 2011 is the last time we issued an order like this,” Goss said. “And we did it across the whole district. So this one’s very specific to Lee County.”

For all parts of Lee County, you can only water one day a week.

Sundays for even-numbered addresses based on the last number and Wednesdays for odd-numbered addresses.

“We ask anyone that lives in the Cape to pay attention to what those watering days are,” Goss said.

However, watering in Cape Coral is limited to one day a week, depending on the last number of a resident’s address.

For example, Cape addresses ending in zero can irrigate Mondays from midnight to 4 a.m.

“As we wait for the rainy season to start, it’s all hands on deck to protect our water resources,” Goss said.

Below are new restrictions specific to all parts of Lee County – except for the City of Cape Coral:

Even-numbered addresses (based on the last number of the address) may only irrigate on Sundays. That includes locations with irrigation systems that irrigate both even and odd-numbered addresses within the same zones, such as multi-family units and homeowners’ associations, and rights-of-way or other locations with no address.

Odd-numbered addresses (based on the last number of the address) may only irrigate on Wednesdays.

All landscape irrigation is prohibited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to reduce evaporation.

This is for Cape Coral:

  • For existing installations less than five irrigated acres, landscape irrigation shall be restricted for all types of irrigation, as set forth below: Locations with an address that ends in 0 may only irrigate on Monday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 1 may only irrigate on Friday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 2 may only irrigate on Thursday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 3 may only irrigate on Wednesday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 4 may only irrigate on Sunday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 5 may only irrigate on Saturday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 6 may only irrigate on Thursday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 7 may only irrigate on Wednesday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 8 may only irrigate on Sunday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
  • Locations with an address that ends in 9 may only irrigate on Saturday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

MORE: Lee County Irrigation Restrictions

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