40E-21.541. Phase III Extreme Water Shortage

The following restrictions shall apply when a Phase III 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 40 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 reduced to levels no greater than 45 pounds per square inch. Voluntary initial pressure reductions below 45 psi shall be made consistent with the utility’s ability to maintain adequate service and fire flow pressures. 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,

(II) Use equal to or less than 75 gallons but more than 50 gallons per wash shall be restricted to the hours of 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m., and

(III) Use equal to or less than 50 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,

(II) Use equal to or less than 150 gallons but more than 100 gallons per wash shall be restricted to the hours of 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m., and

(III) Use equal to or less than 100 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 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 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. The District’s allocation determination for agricultural irrigation within the entire Lake Okeechobee Region as depicted on Figure 21-4 will be based on 45% 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 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.

6. 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., 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(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., on odd numbered days.

b. Outside – 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., on odd numbered days.

c. Outside overhead irrigation for containerized nursery stock moisture stress reduction on stock grown in containers up to and including one 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 4 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 7:00 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and 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 7:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and 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 7:00 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, one day per week.

a. Installations with odd addresses shall be permitted to irrigate on Saturday.

b. Installations with even addresses or no address shall be permitted to irrigate on 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 7:00 a.m., one day per week.

a. Installations with odd addresses shall be permitted to irrigate on Saturday.

b. Installations with even addresses or no address shall be permitted to irrigate on 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. 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 shall be voluntarily reduced and shall be accomplished during non-daylight hours.

2. Irrigation of tees shall be restricted to non-daylight hours three days per week. The front nine holes shall be restricted to Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and the back nine holes shall be restricted to Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

3. 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 7:00 a.m. on Saturday.

4. 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 7:00 a.m. on Sunday.

(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.

3. Existing facilities shall not be refilled except for makeup water, unless the facility is leaking more than one inch of water a day. If the facility is leaking more than one inch of water a day and is in need of repair, it may be drained onto a pervious surface for repairs and subsequently refilled.

(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, Monday through Friday.

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 Saturday. Boats with an even slip number or no slip number shall be permitted to be washed on Sunday.

(e) Aesthetic Use.

1. Outside aesthetic uses of water shall be prohibited.

2. Inside aesthetic uses of water shall be prohibited.

Rulemaking Authority 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.042, 373.0421, 373.175, 373.246 FS. History–New 5-31-82, Amended 1-26-86, 2-14-91, 9-10-01, 11-19-07.