CAPE CORAL – In order to protect groundwater in the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) declared a water shortage and issued mandatory irrigation restrictions today for a portion of Cape Coral and unincorporated Lee County. Landscape irrigation is limited to one day a week in the designated area for irrigation water supplied by private wells.

The Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer, located approximately 125 feet underground, provides water to many private wells in this area. Water levels within this aquifer are at record low levels due to a significant deficit in rainfall this year. The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that the Southwest Florida region is in an Abnormally Dry to Moderate Drought.

For residents within the designated area in the City of Cape Coral, the irrigation requirements are:

• Addresses that end in 0 can irrigate on Mondays,12-4 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 1 can irrigate on Fridays, 4-8 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 2 can irrigate on Thursdays, 12-4 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 3 can irrigate on Wednesdays, 12-4 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 4 can irrigate on Sundays, 12-4 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 5 can irrigate on Saturdays, 12-4 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 6 can irrigate on Thursdays, 4-8 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 7 can irrigate on Wednesdays, 4-8 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 8 can irrigate on Sundays, 4-8 a.m.
• Addresses that end in 9 can irrigate on Saturdays, 4-8 a.m.

For example: if your address is 123 Main Street, your address ends in 3 and can irrigate on Wednesdays between the hours of 12 a.m. (midnight) to 4 a.m.

For residents within the designated area in unincorporated Lee County, the irrigation requirements are:

Even-numbered addresses, installations with irrigation systems that irrigate both even and odd-numbered addresses within the same zones, such as multi-family units and homeowners’ associations, and rights-of-way or other locations with no address, can irrigate only on Sundays.

• Odd-numbered addresses can irrigate only on Saturdays.
• Landscape irrigation users located in unincorporated portions of
• northeastern Cape Coral, are prohibited from irrigating between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on their assigned day.
• Low volume irrigation (i.e. drip irrigation and microjet irrigation) shall be voluntarily reduced.
• Hand watering of existing landscape utilizing a self-canceling nozzle is allowed anytime for no more than 10 minutes per area for stress relief or to prevent plant die-off.

The SFWMD uses specialized monitoring wells that measure water levels within the aquifer. The impacted area is experiencing the lowest ever recorded level, and the irrigation restrictions in place today are expected to reduce the decline in the water levels. Compared to each of the last four years, the current elevation is approximately 15 feet lower. The aquifer is generally recharged by seasonal rainfall each year, and water levels increase as the region receives rain. The Southwest Florida region has experienced a very significant deficit in rainfall this year, water levels have continued to decline and in just the past week, the aquifer dropped 0.5 feet.