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Water Shortage Leads To 316 Pasco Citations
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Published: December 27, 2008
NEW PORT RICHEY - A water shortage might mean more citations for Pasco County residents who ignore lawn watering restrictions.
As of Tuesday, 316 citations have been written since Nov. 14, according to Jeffrey D. Harris, an environmental biologist with Pasco County Utilities Services.
Fines start at $30, jump to $250 for the second offense and top out at $500 for each subsequent violation. Court costs are levied on top of the fines.
The county adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward violators because of an emergency order in October from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Harris explained.
The water shortage now is rated as "extreme" by the Brooksville-based water district's yardstick, Harris said. If the area doesn't get rainfall and plenty of it soon, the dry conditions could become "critical" by February.
Two years of drought and inadequate summer rains have taxed sources of water, Harris said. Tampa Bay Water's 15 billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Reservoir in southern Hillsborough County could be depleted by April.
"We certainly have picked it up," Harris said about ticketing violators.
Thirty utility workers were deputized to supplement patrols by Pasco code enforcement officers, Harris said. Many of the county workers have been patrolling early in the mornings to spot lawn watering violations.
"We want to take every opportunity we have" to publicize the water shortage, Harris said, in hopes of getting cooperation from the public.
Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.
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