Broward Water Restrictions

Drought Monitor: Southern plains precipitation-free and unseasonably hot

Weekly Weather Summary: With the main storm track continuing over the northern half of the lower 48 states, high pressure over the southern plains exacerbated the drought, keeping this area precipitation-free and unseasonably hot (highs exceeding 110 degrees F). Weak fronts stalled out across the Southeast, generating hit and miss showers and thunderstorms, with some locally heavy. Some Southeastern areas (southeastern Virginia and much of the Carolinas) received substantial rainfall.  Heavy, widespread convective thundershowers inundated most of Florida while monsoonal showers continued and intensified over parts of the Southwest. Most of the Nation recorded near to above-normal temperatures, including parts of the West (notably California) which had observed a cold and wet spring and early summer.

The Upper Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic:   A series of frontal passages sparked showers and thunderstorms that dropped moderate to heavy rains (more than 2 inches) across southern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Delmarva Peninsula, and southern Virginia. 3 to 4 inches of rain soaked parts of southern New Jersey, while 4 to 8 inches inundated southeastern Virginia. Accordingly, a 1-category improvement was made where the greatest totals occurred, with D0 removed from southern New Jersey and south-central Virginia, D1 trimmed to D0 in the Delmarva Peninsula, and the D2 in the Delmarva Peninsula diminished. D2(AH) was kept where long-term deficits remained (90-days: 5-10 inches; 6-Months: 8-12 inches; 12-Months: 12-16 inches), even with this week’s beneficial rains. A 2-category improvement was made in southeastern Virginia (D1 to nothing) due to the excessive rainfall, and similar conditions extended southward into northern North Carolina (see Southeast text).  The dam at Lake Chesdin which supplies water for the southwest suburbs of Richmond, VA, reached full capacity with water spilling over the top, effectively ending all water restrictions there.

In contrast, lesser amounts (0.5 to 1.5 inches) were recorded in Maryland and northern Virginia, maintaining conditions there. Farther north, short-term precipitation deficiencies (2 to 4 inches) have accumulated in northwestern Pennsylvania the past 30 days as only 25 to 50 percent of normal rain has fallen. With average 1-, 7-, and 14-day USGS stream flow levels in this region dropping into the lower tenth percentile, D0 was added.

South Florida faces tougher watering restrictions | Broward ...

Drought conditions Tuesday triggered emergency watering restrictions for all of South Florida, requiring more cutbacks for many residents already under year-round landscape watering limits.

All of South Florida now must limit landscape watering to twice a week, according to the South Florida Water Management District. Golf courses and agriculture also face new irrigation restrictions.

That means changes for Palm Beach County as well as the city of Fort Lauderdale, where landscape irrigation three times per week had been allowed.

Miami-Dade County and Broward County already require the tougher, twice-a-week watering limits year round.

Despite Broward’s countywide twice-a-week-watering rule, Fort Lauderdale had been allowing residents to water three times per week.

The new rules take effect Saturday, limiting landscaping to twice a week from Orlando to the Keys.

With Broward and Palm Beach counties already designated areas of “extreme drought,” according to the National Weather Service in Miami, tougher watering restrictions are intended to help lessen the strain on the water supply.

If conditions worsen in the months to come, South Florida can expect even stricter watering restrictions, district officials said.

“The groundwater levels are declining,” said Pete Kwiatkowski, district water-shortage incident commander. “What we are trying to do is extend the water supplies that we do have.”

Under the new rules, homes and businesses with addresses ending in odd numbers would be allowed to water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Addresses ending in even numbers would be allowed to water on Thursdays and Sundays.

Watering would be allowed on permitted days before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

Landscape irrigation uses about half of South Florida’s public water supply, according to the district.

To try to boost conservation, the district last year switched to mandatory year-round landscape watering restrictions that in some areas allow as much as watering three-times per week. During droughts, the district still can impose tougher emergency irrigation restrictions.

Under the new rules approved Tuesday, golf courses in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties must reduce irrigation 15 percent.

Agriculture and nurseries in Broward and Palm Beach Counties as well as southern Miami-Dade County are required to cut water use 15 percent and limit the hours of irrigation.

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