Puny wet season leaves wells low

Back in deep drought and heading into dry season, area water restrictions could become even more severe, Swiftmud warns.

By JEAN HELLER

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 15, 2000

BROOKSVILLE -- Last spring, the weather gurus forecast a wetter-than-normal summer, and June and July tried to live up to it. But August and the front end of September have fizzled badly and pitched the region back into deep drought.

Not only are the latest, harshest water-use restrictions likely to stay in place, it is possible they will get even harsher, officials say.

"We're headed into the nine-month dry season significantly worse off than we were last year and the year before," said David Moore, deputy executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. "If we don't get some pretty good soaking rain pretty soon, by next spring we'll really be looking down the barrel."

If this sounds like a broken record, look at the statistics:

The normal regional rainfall for Jan. 1 through September is 46 inches. So far this year, the region has recorded 22 inches, less than half of normal. And that comes on top of very dry years in 1998 and 1999.

Of the nine groundwater wells Swiftmud monitors from Pasco County north, five are at all-time lows for the month of September on record keeping that dates back from 23 to 65 years. Three other wells are within a foot of all-time lows. All nine wells are several feet below where they should be this time of year.

Stream flows in the lower Withlacoochie, lower Hillsborough, Little Manatee and Peace Rivers are the lowest they have ever been in recorded history in September.

The region is nearing the end of the traditional rainy season.

"We are hoping for some relief in the next two weeks, especially from that weather system down near Cuba," Moore said. "If we don't get it, we're in real trouble."

Trouble enough that even tighter watering restrictions are possible?

"That's something we're evaluating," Moore said.

If there is an up side, it is that water consumption through the summer has been relatively low. According to records compiled by Tampa Bay Water, the region's largest water wholesaler, demand through July, August and the first 13 days of September was below the same period last year.

The demand on TBW's 11 regional well fields averaged 220-million gallons a day in July, down from 235-mgd a year earlier. August demand averaged 224-mgd compared with 238-mgd a year earlier. And demand through the first 13 days of August stood at 225-mgd, compared with 241-mgd last year.

"That's relatively low," said Mike Coates, permitting supervisor for Tampa Bay Water. "Granted, last summer was a record year for water demand, but I would like to think this year's better record is because people are conserving."

The statistics would be even better but for Tampa's needs. The city relies heavily on the Hillsborough River for its drinking water supplies. Tampa looks to Tampa Bay Water only when the river can't meet the demands of the city's water customers.

"But the Hillsborough is flowing at only a third of normal for this time of year," Coates said. "That means Tampa has to rely heavily on the regional system and probably will for the next year at least."

The regional plan assumes Tampa will need an average 5-mgd from Tampa Bay Water's system. But the city's demand has been holding steady at 12.5-mgd, Coates said.

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