110 W. New York Ave., DeLand, FL
386-734-4622
BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
County: This is a test. This is only a test. This is not really sprinkling. Had it been a real sprinkling, we would not have done it in the middle of the day.
The DeLand-Deltona Beacon snapped this photo of sprinklers at work outside the Thomas C. Kelly County Administration Center in DeLand about 12:30 p.m. May 22. Contacted later, Volusia County Groundwater Program Manager Tom Carey said the county government is not guilty of a double standard, by running its sprinklers during the middle of the day, but rather, maintenance personnel were working on the irrigation system to make it more efficient in its use of water. Rather, Volusia County abides by the same watering restrictions imposed on its residents, namely, two days per week and only between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. or between 5 p.m and 9 p.m. The county is also not a customer of DeLand's municipal "gray water" — meaning treated effluent — for the irrigation of the lawns of public buildings.
Water Management District objects, but county goes ahead
By Al Everson
posted May 26, 2009 - 8:35:47am
After years of talking about outlawing the willful waste of water, the Volusia County Council May 21 passed a strict water-conservation ordinance.
The law takes effect immediately, in the cities as well as the unincorporated areas. During standard time, lawn watering will be limited to once a week.
The new measure sets days and hours for lawn sprinkling, limits the amount of water that may be used for irrigation, and spells out an enforcement process that includes fines for violators.
“We will get people’s attention, and we will save water in Volusia County,” County Chair Frank Bruno said, after the council unanimously adopted the ordinance.
The county’s law is more restrictive than the sprinkling rules of the St. Johns River Water Management District.
The Water Management District is the state agency charged with protecting the water resources of Volusia and all or parts of 17 other counties. Florida has five water-management districts.
St. Johns River Water Management Executive Director Kirby Green III took a stand against Volusia County’s ordinance.
“Because portions of the ordinance and proposed revisions exceed the irrigation rule adopted by the St. Johns River Water Management District ... we oppose the ordinance,” read Green’s letter dated May 20.
Green also noted the Florida Legislature has established rules against one government encroaching on the duties, powers and privileges of another level of government, where water is concerned.
“They did not want to see us come up with anything stronger,” County Environmental Management Director Steve Kintner said.
Volusia County’s water-conservation ordinance is a product of many years of debate about how to dissuade residents and businesses from watering grass and plants at times when they are not supposed to do so — and frequently more often than they are permitted. The watering regulations prescribed by the St. Johns River Water Management District have generally not been enforced.
The Water Management District has long limited outdoor sprinkling to a maximum of two days per week.
The county’s watering ordinance goes further. Key points of the county’s new law are:
• Lawn sprinkling is limited to one hour per watering zone
• No more than 3/4 of an inch of water may be used each time
• Watering is limited to twice a week during daylight-saving time, but to only once per week when standard time is in effect
• The county’s watering standards apply to all sources of water, including private wells, not just water from utilities
• County personnel or contract workers will be on patrol, watching for violations of the new ordinance and issuing citations
• The fine for violating the ordinance is $50 for the first offense, followed by a $100 fine for the second violation, $250 for the third, and $500 for the fourth and subsequent offenses
• People receiving citations may pay the fine or challenge the citation before a hearing officer.
Strict enforcement of the ordinance will begin Aug. 1. In the meantime, the county will work to educate the public about the new watering regulations, including issuing warnings to those who are wasting water by irrigating more often than they are permitted.
Fliers, door hangers, and even refrigerator magnets may be distributed to county residents to inform them about the tougher restrictions.
Over the next two months or so, he added, the county will also try to coax the cities to adopt similar ordinances and make plans to enforce them.
The county’s standards will trump any other standards, the council was told.
“How do we reconcile homeowners-association requirements with this?” Council Member Pat Northey asked.
She said she regularly receives calls from DeBary residents claiming their neighborhood rules call for keeping lush lawns.
Kintner and Assistant County Attorney Jamie Seaman said less watering won’t produce brown grass. Less sprinkling, they said, will encourage the grass to develop better root systems so the grass can withstand dry periods.
Although the County Council enacted the water-conservation ordinance as a minimum environmental standard — as provided by the 1986 amendment of the county’s home-rule charter — officials said they would like to see the cities enforce the more stringent standards within their own boundaries. However, the county is free to enforce the new law inside city limits.
In addition to using Sheriff’s Office deputies and employees of the county’s building, utilities and environmental staffs to ticket violators, the county will use the Water Authority of Volusia as a contract employee to help educate the public and cite water-wasters.
The goal of the county’s water ordinance is to reduce water consumption by at least 30 percent over the next five years. The county currently pumps approximately 60 million gallons per day from underground, and the Water Management District is pressing Volusia and surrounding counties to develop alternative water supplies.
Those alternatives include tapping the St. Johns River and perhaps building a seawater desalination plant. The county’s need for water is projected to increase to 88 million gallons a day by 2025.
“If we don’t save water, if we have to go to alternative sources, it’s going to cost us a lot of money,” Kintner said.
The county estimates between 50 percent and 75 percent of the average household’s water use is for irrigation.
County Utilities Director Gloria Marwick produced figures showing the county’s water system pumped 3.6 million gallons per day in the week before May 17. As water customers took advantage of the free water from the skies, the pumping plummeted to 1.6 million gallons per day during the monsoonlike conditions of the past week.
The irony of acting on the water ordinance during a week of heavy rainfall and flooding in some parts of Volusia was not lost on County Manager James Dinneen.
“What’s ironic is on my drive here today, I saw six irrigation systems going,” he said.
Dinneen suggested the county begin its enforcement “with the biggest offenders.”
WHEN CAN I WATER?
During daylight saving time (March-October)
People at odd-numbered addresses (or no address) may water on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
People at even-numbered addresses may water on Thursdays and Sundays.
Nonresidential properties may water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Hours: Watering is permitted for one hour only per watering zone, anytime except between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
No more than 3/4 of an inch may be applied in any watering session.
During standard time (November-early March)
People at odd-numbered addresses (or no address) may water on Saturdays.
People at even-numbered addresses may water on Sundays.
Nonresidential properties may water on Tuesdays.
Hours: Watering is permitted for one hour only per watering zone, anytime except between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
No more than 3/4 of an inch may be applied in any watering session.
Reader Comments
The comments posted below are posted by readers, not by The Beacon staff. These comments express the views and opinions of the authors, and not the administrators, moderators or webmaster. The comments forum is governed by these rules. Please use the report abuse link if you find offensive comments.
Maybe they should give home owners a rebate, discount, tax break for rain water harvesting systems instead. Oh wait, that's way too easy and common sense is not on the county agenda.
;)
Comment on this article
Commenting is closed for this article.
If you would like to contribute a letter to the editor, please click here.
Did you find this story interesting or informative? Subscribe to The DeLand-Deltona Beacon to read more stories by Al Everson, along with others from our award-winning writers. Subscribe now!
Photos - Real Estate - Newcomer's Guide - Beacon Magazines - Advertise - Local Web Sites - About Us - Beacon Archives