City stepping up enforcement of watering schedule due to declining canal levels
Cape Coral’s Code Compliance has added four seasonal officers and is beginning stepped-up enforcement efforts to encourage residents to follow the city’s watering schedule and reduce the amount of water being used. Residents continue to water outside their permitted times and are overusing the irrigation supply, city officials said in a statement issued Friday. The peak of the dry season is still to come, and without a significant reduction in usage, the next step will be to implement one-day watering restrictions.
“Our residents need to understand that our irrigation water supply is not unlimited and must be used wisely to ensure its availability through the dry season,” said City Manager John Szerlag said in the statement. “There is not enough rain on the horizon to help the city’s freshwater canals recover from current dry conditions. Issuing citations is the last effort to compel our residents to conserve this limited resource before moving to a one-day watering schedule.”
Levels in the city’s freshwater canals are approaching the point where the reuse pumps at the canal stations will start shutting down automatically. The city’s growing concerns about the irrigation supply prompted the Utilities Department to authorize overtime funds for Code officers to enforce the schedule. After a first warning, Code officers will be issuing citations that carry a $100 fine for a second violation, $200 fine for a third violation, and a $400 fine for subsequent violations.
While Code will focus on violations of the schedule, the city also is encouraging residents who do follow the schedule to adjust their timers and reduce the amount of time they are watering. During the dry season, lawns do not require as much water as the summer months and only need about 1 inch of water per week per square foot.
“Irrigating lawns for the entire four-hour watering block on scheduled days uses far more water than needed by the typical lawn in Cape Coral,” said Szerlag. “Cutting the watering time to 20 minutes per zone can reduce the amount of water used and still maintain the landscaping.”
Szerlag also said that residents who need help setting their timers can call 3-1-1, and the city might be able to provide assistance.
To avoid a cutback in watering days, the city will need to see significant reductions in the water consumption. To report addresses where watering violations are occurring, residents can call our Code office at 574-0613. Callers can remain anonymous.
Here is the two-day watering schedule that is in effect for all residents of Cape Coral:
* Monday and Friday:
Midnight to 4 a.m. for addresses ending in 0
* Monday and Friday:
4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for addresses ending in 1
* Wednesday and Saturday:
Midnight to 4 a.m. for addresses ending in 3 and 5
* Wednesday and Saturday:
4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for addresses ending in 7 and 9
* Thursday and Sunday:
Midnight to 4 a.m. for addresses ending in 2 and 4
* Thursday and Sunday:
4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for addresses ending in 6 and 8
Source: City of Cape Coral