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Water official warns of historic drought; residential irrigation limited to one day weekly
Summary
Doug Conkey of the Saint Johnford Water Management District told the Hilliard Town Council the district moved from a Phase 1 order to a Phase 2 advisory and urged residents and utilities to cut water use; he said residential irrigation is restricted to one day per week and the restrictions apply to wells.
Doug Conkey, a representative of the Saint Johnford Water Management District, told the Hilliard Town Council the district declared a Phase 1 moderate water shortage on Feb. 10 and has since moved to a Phase 2 advisory that asks for greater voluntary reductions.
Conkey said the advisory applies across Northeast Florida and listed counties affected in the district. He said the measures include restrictions for recreational and aesthetic water uses and that “All residential landscape irrigation is limited to 1 day a week regardless of the time of year.” He added that the order also applies to private wells: “This applies to wells.”
Conkey warned the district could escalate to mandatory restrictions if conditions worsen and urged local officials to educate residents and homeowner associations about the changes. He said groundwater-monitoring wells are reaching the 10th percentile for the aquifer and noted the forecast through May shows continued dry conditions.
The council did not take formal action; members thanked Conkey for the update and asked staff to share the district’s outreach materials with residents.
