St. Johns River Water Management District

News Release

nr09-017

New watering restrictions take effect Sunday, March 8

PALATKA, Fla., March 3, 2009 - On Sunday, March 8, new restrictions specifying the days of the week for landscape irrigation will become effective across the 18 counties of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Under the new restrictions, landscape irrigation will be limited to two days a week during daylight saving time and one day a week during Eastern Standard Time.

The restrictions apply to water withdrawn from ground or surface water, from a private well or pump, or from a public or private water utility, but they do not apply to irrigation using reclaimed water or storm water.

Some of the provisions include:

• During daylight saving time, which also begins March 8, specified days of the week that residential and nonresidential users can irrigate are:

  o Wednesday and Saturday for residential landscape irrigation at odd numbered addresses or no address

  o Thursday and Sunday for residential landscape irrigation at even numbered addresses

  o Tuesday and Friday for nonresidential landscape irrigation

  o No irrigation allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

  o Limited to 3/4 inch of water per irrigation zone and to no more than one hour per irrigation zone on each day that irrigation occurs

• When Eastern Standard Time is in effect, residential landscape irrigation will be limited to one day a week.

  o Saturday at odd numbered addresses or no address

  o Sunday at even numbered addresses

  o Tuesday for nonresidential landscape irrigation

  o No irrigation allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

  o Limited to 3/4 inch of water per irrigation zone and to no more than one hour per irrigation zone on each day that irrigation occurs

Local governments are authorized to enforce the restrictions within their boundaries by adopting ordinances incorporating the District's restrictions. The District can enforce its restrictions throughout its 18-county area.

Irrigation limitations apply to all landscape irrigation not currently regulated by a consumptive use permit, which typically includes residential, commercial and industrial establishments. Golf courses, plant nurseries, agricultural crops, and sports recreational areas generally have consumptive use permits that specify their irrigation limitations.

The District's annual public awareness campaign will also launch on March 8. This year's campaign seeks to inform the public about the new restrictions through billboards, television, radio, newspapers and the Internet.

For complete information about the District's watering restrictions and exceptions to the rule, visit the District's Web site at www.sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions.

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