‘April showers bring May flowers’ is not typically the case in Florida, as our dry season runs October through late May. But June gave us nearly a whopping 10 inches of rain, two inches above average.
Not only did all this rain reduce outdoor water usage, but it also increased flows in the Alafia and Hillsborough rivers, allowing Tampa Bay Water in late June to stop using water from the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir and instead rely on surface water from the rivers.
Additionally, Tampa Bay Water has begun refilling the reservoir at a rate of about a billion gallons of water per week – at this rate, it will be filled by early- to mid-August.
“We’re under our limits for our water use permits, and groundwater levels have increased slightly,” said Ken Herd, chief science and technical officer for Tampa Bay Water. “All of this is great for us and the region, but everyone still needs to use water wisely and use only what you need.”
