Florida Administrative Code
40 - WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
40E - South Florida Water Management District
Chapter 40E-21 - WATER SHORTAGE PLAN
Part V - SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS
Section 40E-21.521 - Phase I Moderate Water Shortage
Universal Citation: FL Admin Code R 40E-21.521
Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
The following restrictions shall apply when a Phase I water shortage is declared by the District.
(1) Essential/Domestic/Utility/Commercial.
(a) Essential Use:
1. The use of water for firefighting, safety,
sanitation, health and medical purposes and other essential uses shall not be
restricted.
2. Fire hydrant
flushing shall be undertaken only on an emergency basis.
3. Sanitary sewer line flushing and testing
shall not be restricted except on a voluntary basis.
(b) Domestic Type Use:
1. Residential type domestic use shall be
voluntarily reduced to achieve a per capita consumption of 60 gallons per
person per day.
2. Domestic type
use in industrial and commercial establishments shall be voluntarily
reduced.
(c) Water
Utility Use:
1. Initial pressure at the point
of use (meter) shall be voluntarily reduced to levels no greater than 45 pounds
per square inch. Upon reduction of pressure, the utility shall notify the
appropriate fire-fighting agencies and make arrangements for direct
communication when additional pressure is required.
2. New water line flushing and disinfection
shall be restricted to the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. seven days per
week.
3. As may be appropriate the
utility shall institute additional voluntary conservation measures such as
reclaiming of backwash water, improving and accelerating leak detection surveys
and repair programs, installing and calibrating meters, and stabilizing and
equalizing system pressures.
(d) Power Production Use. Water used for
power production shall be voluntarily reduced.
(e) Commercial and Industrial Process Use:
1. Commercial car washes shall be restricted
as follows:
a. For washes servicing passenger
vehicles and mobile equipment weighing less than 10, 000 pounds,
(I) Use in excess of 75 gallons per wash
shall be prohibited and
(II) Use
equal to or less than 75 gallons per wash shall be voluntarily
reduced;
b. For washes
servicing mobile equipment weighing 10, 000 pounds or more,
(I) Use in excess of 150 gallons per wash
shall be prohibited, and
(II) Use
equal to or less than 150 gallons per wash shall be voluntarily
reduced.
2.
Water used for commercial and industrial processes shall be voluntarily
reduced.
3. Water use for cleaning,
adjusting and repair of irrigation systems by a licensed person or entity shall
be restricted as follows:
a. Projects one
irrigated acre or greater in size shall be limited to one hour per acre per
week,
b. Projects less than one
irrigated acre in size shall be limited to 10 minutes per zone per
week.
4. Water use for
pesticide application under the supervision of a licensed pest control operator
shall be voluntarily reduced. Under the provisions of this subparagraph, the
applicator must be on the premises when water is applied outside of the hours
allowed for irrigation.
5. Water
use for well development under the supervision of a licensed well contractor
shall be voluntarily reduced.
6.
Water use for mobile equipment washing by a licensed person or entity shall be
voluntarily reduced.
(f)
Diversion and Impoundment into Non-District Facilities. Water used for
diversion and impoundment into non-District facilities shall be voluntarily
reduced; however, the diversion of surface water from sources in the Lake
Okeechobee Region as depicted on Figure 21-4 and described in subsection
40E-21.691(3),
F.A.C., shall be subject to the restrictions described in subparagraph
(2)(a)6., below.
(2) Agriculture.
(a) Agricultural Use:
1. Overhead irrigation shall be restricted to
the hours of 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.
2. Low volume irrigation hours shall not be
restricted.
3. All irrigation
systems shall be operated in a manner that will maximize the percentage of
water withdrawn and held which is placed in the root zone of the crop and will
minimize the amount of water which is withdrawn and released or lost to the
user but is not immediately available for other users.
4. Users having access to more than one
source class shall maximize the use of the lesser or least restricted source
class.
5. Overhead irrigation for
field grown citrus nursery stock moisture stress reduction shall be allowed
daily for 10 minutes per irrigation zone from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from
1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
6. The
District's allocation determination for agricultural irrigation within the
entire Lake Okeechobee Region as depicted on Figure 21-4 will be based on 15%
cutbacks to the calculated 1 in 10 supplemental crop demands calculated on a
weekly basis. The entire Lake Okeechobee Region supplemental crop demands will
be distributed among the sub-basins depicted in Figure 21-4 based on a grouping
of crop types, irrigation methods (e.g. flood irrigated crops versus micro
irrigated crops), the associated acreage totals as identified in the individual
water use permits combined with the associated 1 in 10 evapotranspiration
demands of the crops. An additional amount of water from Lake Okeechobee will
be added to the weekly allocation as necessary to account for conveyance losses
that occur through seepage and free surface evaporation from the Central and
Southern Florida Flood Control System Project canals. The share of the entire
Lake Okeechobee Region irrigation allocation available to each sub-basin may be
further adjusted to prioritize water deliveries among crops, as long as the sum
of the sub-basin allocations does not exceed the weekly allocation for the
entire Lake Okeechobee Region and that equity among users and sub-basins is
assured. Such adjustments shall be based upon irrigation efficiency, potential
for economic loss, and acreage irrigated as opposed to non-irrigated acreage.
Withdrawals by each permitted user within the Lake Okeechobee Region as
described in subsection
40E-21.691(3),
F.A.C., shall be limited to an amount that represents each user's share of
their sub-basin weekly allocation based on their permitted crop type and
irrigated acreage. The District shall provide the users with the data necessary
to calculate their weekly allotment of water.
(b) Livestock Use. Livestock water use shall
be voluntarily reduced.
(c)
Aquacultural Use. Aquacultural water use shall be voluntarily
reduced.
(d) Soil Flooding:
1. Soil flooding for vegetable seed planting,
rice planting, burning of sugarcane prior to harvest and to permit harvesting
of sod shall be voluntarily reduced.
2. Soil flooding for all other purposes shall
be prohibited.
(e) Freeze
Protection. Water use for freeze protection shall be restricted to situations
in which official weather forecasting services predict temperatures likely to
cause permanent damage to crops.
(3) Nursery/Urban Irrigation/Recreation.
(a) Nursery Use:
1. Low volume irrigation uses and low volume
hand watering shall be voluntarily reduced.
2. Overhead irrigation uses shall be
restricted as follows:
a. Inside - 8:00 a.m.
to 8:00 p.m., seven days per week.
b. Outside - 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., seven
days per week.
c. Overhead
irrigation for containerized nursery stock moisture stress reduction on stock
grown in containers up to and including 1 gallon in size shall be allowed daily
for 10 minutes per irrigation zone from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. to
2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
3. Flood irrigation systems shall be
restricted to 8 days per month.
(b) Landscape Irrigation - New Installation:
1. For installations which have been in place
for less than 30 days, and
a. Less than 5
irrigated acres in size, water use for irrigation shall be restricted to the
hours of 2:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday,
b. 5 irrigated acres or greater in size,
water use for irrigation shall be restricted to the hours of 12:01 a.m. to 8:00
a.m., Monday through Friday.
2. Low volume irrigation and low volume hand
watering of new landscaping shall be voluntarily reduced.
3. Cleaning and adjusting of new irrigation
systems shall be restricted to 10 minutes per zone on a one time
basis.
(c) Landscape
Irrigation - Existing Installation:
1. For
existing installations less than 5 irrigated acres in size, water use for
irrigation shall be restricted to the hours from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. for all
types of irrigation, except low volume irrigation, and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
for low volume hand watering only, three days per week.
a. Installations with odd addresses shall be
permitted to irrigate on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
b. Installations with even addresses or no
address shall be permitted to irrigate on Tuesday, Thursday and
Sunday.
2. For existing
installations 5 irrigated acres or greater in size, water use for irrigation
shall be restricted to the hours from 12:01 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., three days per
week.
a. Installations with odd addresses
shall be permitted to irrigate on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
b. Installations with even addresses or no
address shall be permitted to irrigate on Tuesday, Thursday and
Sunday.
3. Water use for
cleaning, adjusting and repair of existing irrigation systems shall be limited
to ten minutes per zone per week.
4. Low volume irrigation uses shall be
voluntarily reduced.
(d)
Recreation Area Use:
1. Landscape irrigation
for new and existing recreation areas shall be restricted to the hours
prescribed for new and existing landscape irrigation in paragraphs (b) and (c)
respectively.
2. Irrigation of
seeded and/or sprigged recreation areas that have been in place for less than
thirty days shall be allowed daily for 10 minutes per irrigation zone from
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:00
p.m.
3. Watering of pervious
non-vegetated recreational/sporting surfaces shall be restricted to ten minutes
of application prior to each recreational/sporting event. Low volume watering
shall be used.
(e) Golf
Course Use:
1. Irrigation of greens and tees
shall be voluntarily reduced and shall be accomplished during non-daylight
hours.
2. Irrigation of fairways,
roughs and nonplaying areas on the first nine holes of the course shall be
restricted to the hours of 12:01 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and
Saturday.
3. Irrigation of
fairways, roughs and nonplaying areas on the last nine holes of the course
shall be restricted to the hours of 12:01 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, Thursday
and Sunday.
4. Irrigation of seeded
and/or sprigged areas that have been in place for less than thirty days shall
be allowed daily for 10 minutes per irrigation zone from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00
p.m., 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(f) Water Based Recreation Use:
1. Water based recreation water use shall be
voluntarily reduced.
2. Draining of
facilities into sewers or onto impervious surfaces shall be
prohibited.
(4) Miscellaneous.
(a) Cooling and Air
Conditioning Use.
The use of water for cooling and air conditioning shall be restricted to that amount of water necessary to maintain a minimum temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
(b) Dewatering Use. Discharge of fresh water
to tide from dewatering shall be prohibited.
(c) Navigation Use:
1. The District shall request the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to restrict its lockages to maintain acceptable chloride
concentrations upstream of the locks and to conserve water.
2. In the case of the Franklin Lock and Dam,
the District shall request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restrict
lockages to once every four hours if:
a.
Chloride levels upstream of S-79 are 180 parts per million or higher,
and
b. A rainfall in excess of one
inch in 24 hours is not predicted in the surface water use basin within the
next 48 hours.
3. If the
restrictions imposed in subparagraph 2. are insufficient to stop the rising
chloride levels, the District shall request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to
further restrict lockages to once every four hours, twice per week.
4. If the restrictions imposed in
subparagraphs 2. and 3. are still insufficient to stop the rising chloride
levels, the District shall request the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to
prohibit lockages.
(d)
Other Outside Uses:
1. Washing or cleaning
streets, driveways, sidewalks, or other impervious areas with water shall be
prohibited.
2. Outside pressure
cleaning shall be restricted to only low volume pressure cleaning, seven days a
week.
3. Mobile equipment washing
with water shall be restricted to the hours and days prescribed for existing
landscape irrigation in subparagraph (3)(c)1., using only low volume mobile
equipment washing methods and shall be conducted over a pervious surface or in
an area that immediately drains to a pervious surface. Rinsing and flushing of
boats after saltwater use shall be limited to 15 minutes once a day for each
boat.
4. Washing boats that serve
as a primary residence shall be restricted to the hours and days prescribed for
existing landscape irrigation in subparagraph (3)(c)1. Boats with an odd slip
number shall be permitted to be washed on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Boats
with an even slip number or no slip number shall be permitted to be washed on
Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
(e) Aesthetic Use:
1. Non-recirculating outside aesthetic uses
of water shall be prohibited.
2.
Water use for outside aesthetic purposes by facilities that recirculate water
shall be voluntarily reduced and must meet the following criteria:
a. Draining of water from outside aesthetic
facilities into sewers or onto impervious surfaces is prohibited.
b. Outside aesthetic facilities shall not be
operated when wind conditions cause water to be lost from the recirculating
capacity of the facility.
c.
Outside aesthetic facilities that leak water shall not be operated.
d. Outside aesthetic facilities that lose
water due to an overflow shall not be operated.
3. Inside aesthetic uses of water shall be
voluntarily reduced.
Rulemaking Authority 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.042, 373.0421, 373.175, 373.246 FS.
New 5-31-82, Amended 1-26-86, 2-14-91, 9-10-01, 11-19-07.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Florida may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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