Cape Coral pumping water from reservoir to rehydrate canals

CAPE CORAL – The City of Cape Coral is pumping roughly 15-million-gallons of water a day from a Charlotte County reservoir to rehydrate the City’s freshwater canals.

“We only do it when we have to and this year has been very dry,” said Cape Coral utilities director, Jeff Pearson.

“The water provides irrigation water, it provides fire protection for the city’s reclaimed water hydrants, and it also protects citizens’ seawalls,” he added.

Two pipelines are pumping the water out.

The water then goes into a ditch along US 41, where it meets up with the Gator Slough which feeds hundreds of miles of Cape’s canals.

“We’re recycling water that would otherwise not be used or would be disposed of into saltwater,” Pearson said.

Person said with the demand for water, people may only notice an increase of about an inch or two.