A drier-than-normal winter and spring have Northeast Florida water managers warning of an impending shortage.
But they say the worst can be staved off if people take it upon themselves to cut back their usage.
The 18-county St. Johns River Water Management District is putting Northeast Florida at a warning level. That could worsen to a moderate or severe drought this month, bringing mandatory usage restrictions.
But we can help prevent that, according to SJRWMD water shortage team leader Kraig McLane.
“Any actions that homeowners can do — businesses, commercial, industrial — can actually reduce demand and can keep our supply in healthy level,” he said.
The No. 1 way to save water, he said, is restrict lawn watering to two days a week and turn off automatic sprinklers when it’s raining. Also, don’t let faucets run into sinks longer than necessary, and skip car washes for now.
Check out the SJRWMD’s full list of tips for conserving water.
McLane says wetter weather is expected in the summer, but conditions are dicey until then.
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Contact Jessica Palombo at 904-358-6315, jpalombo@wjct.org or on Twitter at @JessicaPubRadio.
