CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The South Florida Water Management District is limiting residents in northeast Cape Coral from watering their lawn more than once a week.
SFWMD says the Mid-Hawthron Aquifer is under a water shortage. This is for the area north of Pine Island Road to the Gator Slough Canal between Nelson Road North and Northeast 24th Avenue.
The limitation is only for people using private wells. The aquifer provides the water to many of the wells, and it's at a record low due to the "significant deficit in rainfall this year."
Here are the irrigation requirements for people in the City of Cape Coral:
- Addresses that end in 0 can irrigate on Mondays,12-4 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 1 can irrigate on Fridays, 4-8 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 2 can irrigate on Thursdays, 12-4 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 3 can irrigate on Wednesdays, 12-4 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 4 can irrigate on Sundays, 12-4 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 5 can irrigate on Saturdays, 12-4 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 6 can irrigate on Thursdays, 4-8 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 7 can irrigate on Wednesdays, 4-8 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 8 can irrigate on Sundays, 4-8 a.m.
- Addresses that end in 9 can irrigate on Saturdays, 4-8 a.m.
For example: if your address is 123 Main Street, your address ends in 3 and can irrigate on Wednesdays between the hours of 12 a.m. (midnight) to 4 a.m.
Here are the requirements in unincorporated Lee County if you are in the designated area:
- Even-numbered addresses, installations 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, can irrigate only on Sundays.
- Odd-numbered addresses can irrigate only on Saturdays.
- Landscape irrigation users located in unincorporated portions of
northeastern Cape Coral, are prohibited from irrigating between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on their assigned day. - Low volume irrigation (i.e. drip irrigation and microjet irrigation) shall be voluntarily reduced.
- Hand watering of existing landscape utilizing a self-canceling nozzle is allowed anytime for no more than 10 minutes per area for stress relief or to prevent plant die-off.
SFWMD says this is the lowest ever recorded level, and the restrictions placed are expected to reduce the decline in water levels.
Compared to the last four years, SFWMD says the elevation is about 15 feet lower.
A water shortage warning issued on November 21, 2023 is still in effect for all of Collier and Lee Counties.
