Advisory Stage Water Emergency Issued

An advisory stage notice of emergency for the use of irrigation water has been issued. While the two-day watering schedule remains in effect, residents are asked to reduce the watering of lawns and to voluntarily adjust timers to conserve water. The advisory is being issued due to high irrigation usage and water levels in the city’s freshwater canals that continue to decline. An adequate supply of irrigation water is needed for the more than 800 fire hydrants that are connected to the city’s reuse system for fire suppression.

Lacking rain and conservation, a declaration for mandatory one-day watering may become necessary.

The City has taken several proactive steps, enforcement activity was stepped up at the beginning of the dry season and more than 4,000 illegal watering violations have been issued. High usage and illegal watering contribute to decreased irrigation pressures. The City continues to pump an average of 13.5 million gallons of water each day from a reservoir in Charlotte County into the city’s freshwater canal system for irrigation usage, and a new canal pump station has been operating since last week. The new pump station was part of the North 2 utilities extension project that will help to supplement the irrigation system.  

The City’s irrigation is supplied by treated wastewater from the City’s two wastewater facilities and supplemented by freshwater canal water pumped from the City’s freshwater canal pumping stations. Cape Coral’s freshwater canal system is comprised of 300 miles of freshwater canals that provide storage through an extensive system of weirs and pumping stations. The 25 weirs strategically located in the canal network and canal pump stations provide the ability to store water during the rainy season for dry season use.  The freshwater canal system also provides management of excess stormwater flows, which protect the sensitive estuary environment and provide flood control.

The City’s two-day watering schedule is available on the City’s website (www.capecoral.gov).