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Water rule violators get wake-up call
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK © St. Petersburg Times, published April 18, 2001 BROOKSVILLE -- The time to learn about Hernando County's watering restrictions is over. Beginning next week, the county will stop warning first-time offenders. Instead, $25 fines will be assessed against residents who sprinkle their lawns when they're not supposed to. "If there's a resident in Hernando County who does not know the rules by now, I think they've been living in a cave," said County Administrator Paul McIntosh, who recommended the change. "We need to take the reins off and start fining on first violation." Officers from the Code Enforcement Department and the Sheriff's Office will issue the tickets. County commissioners, who resisted the same idea in February, unanimously accepted McIntosh's proposal Tuesday. But their action came only after a lengthy discussion about water availability and use with representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Primarily, they wanted explanations why current residents cannot water at will when developers can continue to build homes and businesses that will further tap the water supply. They also demanded assurances that large-scale water users such as golf courses and mines face similar enforcement when they violate their water permits. Swiftmud Executive Director E.D. "Sonny" Vergara explained that the short-term water situation relates directly to the ongoing drought. Surface water supplies have dwindled, he said, and all residents and businesses must conserve to protect the ecosystem from damage. "But that doesn't mean you have to consider going into a moratorium," Vergara said. Hernando County has an ample underground water supply that will serve its needs for a long time if managed properly, he said. Governments should consider whether a development will negatively impact the water sources it proposes to use, he said, but it need not cut off all development. He also allayed concerns that the county is being forced to conserve so it can send water to the south in the future: "You're conserving water today to make sure it's available for the future of this county." Enforcement of watering restrictions is taking place at the golf courses and with other large users, added B.J. Jarvis, Swiftmud director of records and data. Three golf courses -- Whispering Oaks, Sherman Hills and Rivard -- all face fines for continued abuse, she said, and Florida Water Services is under investigation. Commissioner Nancy Robinson, who requested the Swiftmud presentation, said it helped clarify why the watering restrictions are not tied to development. Also, she said, it makes clear to the public that when the commission forges ahead with enforcement, "they understand there is equity in the consequences." Swiftmud needs to get into the community and answer the questions alongside commission staff, Robinson said. Vergara agreed to send representatives to community forums and town meetings around Hernando County to deal with water-use issues. The next one is scheduled for 8 tonight at Suncoast Elementary School, 11135 Quality Drive, Spring Hill.
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From today's Hernando Times |
