News Releases

04Apr
As Dry Season Begins, Tampa Bay Water Stresses Importance of Continued Conservation
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News Release

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brandon Moore
bmoore@tampabaywater.org
(727) 791-2304 | (727) 470-0702

CLEARWATER, Fla. (April 4, 2024) – Rainfall has been above average for the last two months and the region is conserving water, but Tampa Bay Water won’t declare victory. Why? The driest months of the year have only begun.

“We’ve been receiving much-needed rain and residents have responded to watering restrictions and are saving water,” said Brandon Moore, Tampa Bay Water’s public communications manager. “But continued efforts are needed with the dry season here.”

Tampa Bay Water is urging residents to continue conservation efforts, reduce their water usage by 5% and sustain these efforts.

Spring months are the driest of the year and up to 50% of water used at home during the dry season is for watering lawns. This is why there’s a state-wide effort to proclaim April as Water Conservation Month. The Governor and his cabinet, water utilities and water management districts all over the state make this proclamation, including here in Tampa Bay, to underscore the need to conserve water at this time of year.

As temperatures get warmer, outdoor water use rises. But outdoor watering in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties is limited to one-day-per-week per the Southwest Florida Water Management District water shortage order that runs through July 1, 2024. Residents can find their watering day by simply entering their zip codes at MyWaterDay.org.

Some of the ways to save water outdoors include:

  • Skip a week of watering if it rains and save up to 2,500 gallons of water.
  • Fix broken sprinkler heads and leaking sprinkler lines and save thousands of gallons of water.
  • When watering, make sure sprinklers are aimed at the lawn and not watering sidewalks or streets.
  • Use a hose nozzle when watering by hand and save 8 gallons per minute.

Not everyone waters their lawn or has a lawn to water, but there are other ways to save including:

  • Fix household leaks and save 180 gallons per week.
  • Fix leaking toilet flappers and save up to 200 gallons of water per day.
  • Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and save 8 gallons of water per day.
  • Take shorter showers and save 2 gallons per minute.
  • Run dishwashers only when full and save nearly 320 gallons of water annually.
  • Install water efficient fixtures and technology and receive rebates through the Tampa Bay Water Wise program.

Regional water facts as of April 1, 2024:

  • Regional rainfall is at a 1.5-inch deficit averaged over the past 12 months.
  • Rainfall in March averaged about 3.9 inches, 0.4 inches above normal.
  • River flows are in a 8 million gallons per day (mgd) deficit averaged over the past 12 months.
  • Regional water demands in March averaged 04 mgd, 20.63 mgd lower than March 2023, but 0.48 mgd higher than demand in February 2024.
  • The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir is at 7.0 billion gallons, 45% of its 15.5-billion-gallon capacity, which helps maintain water supply to the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant.

About Tampa Bay Water

Tampa Bay Water is the largest wholesale water supplier in Florida, providing high-quality drinking water to its members, who in turn, supply water to more than 2.5 million residents of the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay Water member governments include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. To learn more, visit tampabaywater.org.