District urges continued water conservation under Phase III Extreme Water Shortage

The St. Johns River Water Management District (District) is continuing to urge residents, businesses and large water users across northeast and central Florida to conserve water as extreme drought conditions persist throughout the region.

The District declared a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage earlier this month in response to ongoing exceptional drought conditions, declining groundwater levels and reduced surface water flows. Current conditions remain extremely dry, and significant rainfall is needed across the region to improve drought conditions.

“The drought conditions impacting a majority of our region have not improved, and conservation efforts remain critically important,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Director of Water Supply and Assessment Clay Coarsey. “Everyone can help reduce strain on our water resources by following restrictions and eliminating unnecessary water use.”

District staff evaluated rainfall totals, aquifer levels, river flows and drought indicators before recommending the action. Despite some rainfall over the past week, drought conditions have continued to worsen, requiring continued conservation measures to help protect regional water resources.

Under Phase III restrictions, landscape irrigation remains limited to one day per week for residential, commercial and institutional properties, including managed landscapes. Landscape irrigation also remains prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Additional Phase III measures currently in effect include:

• Commercial, industrial and institutional users must suspend certain non-essential water uses.
• Irrigation for golf course fairways is limited to one day per week.
• Aesthetic water use is prohibited, and additional restrictions apply to activities such as street and pressure washing.
• Restrictions on irrigation for new plantings, including sod, have been tightened.

Outdoor irrigation remains one of the greatest demands on potable water supplies, making conservation efforts especially important during extended dry periods.

If you have not already reset your irrigation timer so that irrigation only occurs one day per week and only between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., this should be done immediately. Residents are also encouraged to inspect irrigation systems for leaks and ensure sprinklers are only watering landscaped areas, not streets, sidewalks or driveways, to help prevent unnecessary water waste during ongoing drought conditions.

To view the complete water shortage order, including detailed requirements for each water use category and water conservation tips, visit sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions.

Please note, residents may occasionally see irrigation systems operating in public spaces such as parks, medians and common areas during the water shortage. In many cases, these systems use reclaimed water, which is a highly treated recycled water source that helps reduce demand on potable groundwater supplies. While conservation remains important across all water sources, some reclaimed water systems must continue operating to maintain system function or manage storage capacity.

To learn more about reclaimed water and its beneficial uses, visit https://floridadep.gov/water/domestic-wastewater/content/floridas-reuse-program.