Water restrictions eased from Phase III to Phase II for Tampa Bay area

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted on Dec. 15 to ease water restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

The Board voted to lift the Modified Phase III (or Extreme) restrictions for the Tampa Bay area because Tampa Bay Water has made substantial progress in reducing its groundwater withdrawals in recent months. The regional water supply authority’s annual average withdrawals had been exceeding its permit. With 13.85 billion gallons of water stored in the 15-billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, Tampa Bay Water is expected to get within permit limits this month. The three-county area will now follow the District’s Modified Phase II (or Severe) water restrictions.

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