County board amends lawn irrigation ordinance

On Jan. 16, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted to amend the Lee County Water Conservation Ordinance to implement a new one-day-a-week watering schedule from February through May to conserve water and protect the aquifer.
Since 2005, the county has had a water conservation ordinance for unincorporated communities, which includes Captiva. Last year, the county worked with the South Florida Water Management District to raise concerns with water levels within the Sandstone Aquifer in eastern Lehigh Acres.
Under the amended ordinance, odd-numbered addresses may only water on Saturdays and even-numbered addresses and common areas may water on Sundays. No watering can occur from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Typically, the aquifers peak toward the end of rainy season and show the most stress during the April through May timeframe.
The county is planning a public information campaign about the changes to educate the community. It will include introducing its newest superhero, Captain Conservation, along with educational videos, social media outreach and more.
The county reported that lawn irrigation can account for 50% of household use. Residents and commercial property owners are urged to abide by local ordinances that restrict lawn irrigation. For a list of local rules for areas outside of unincorporated Lee, visit www.sfwmd.gov/mywateringdays.
All local ordinances have provisions for enforcement of violations, which vary by community. People in unincorporated Lee who irrigate outside the permissible days and hours can receive a warning on a first offense and fines following a warning; however, the objective is education about the ordinance. Neighborhood groups, Homeowners Associations and others are encouraged to share the above link.