Mandatory water restrictions and a ban on open burning exist for the area due to a drought.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted June 23 to extend “extreme” water shortage restrictions through Oct. 1, requiring residents to follow one-day-per-week outdoor watering rules.
The district reported a regional rainfall deficit of 11.4 inches for May alone, with rivers, lakes and public water supplies continuing to decline.
Outdoor water use accounts for more than half of household consumption and the district is urging people to conserve. Standard watering days are assigned by the last digit of a property’s street address:
- 0 or 1: Monday;
- 2 or 3: Tuesday;
- 4 or 5: Wednesday;
- 6 or 7: Thursday;
- 8 or 9: Friday.
Unless local rules are stricter, watering hours are limited to 12:01-4 a.m. or 8-11:59 p.m. Properties under an acre may use only one of those windows.
Other restrictions apply to commercial operations and HOA communities.
Separately, Manatee County has enacted a countywide burn ban, prohibiting open burning, campfires, sparklers and personal fireworks.
Attended gas grills and LP devices remain permitted, as do scheduled public fireworks displays.
“It only takes one spark to start a fire under these conditions,” said county emergency management chief Matt Myers.
The ban remains in effect until further notice.
For information, visit mymanatee.org/burnban or call the county at 941-745-6397.
For water restriction details, visit watermatters.org/restrictions. Swiftmud’s phone number is 800-423-1476.
