Cape Coral water crisis approaching critical point

CAPE CORAL, Fla. Residents could soon be facing a mandatory one-day-a-week watering schedule as dry weather compounds an ongoing problem.

The city estimated earlier this month that there were only four weeks of usable water left in the freshwater canals where the city gets its water supply.

Residents are currently allowed to water their lawns two days a week, but the city has asked that they only do so once a week. That request could become a demand by next week, City of Cape Coral Public Information Officer Connie Barron said.

The last time the city considered a mandatory one-day-a-week schedule was in 2011, but that never went into effect. If it happens this year, there will be no grace period because the situation is so dire, Barron said.

Only isolated rain is predicted over the next seven days. The city had been experiencing a moderate drought since the start of 2017. The National Weather Service upgraded the drought in Lee County from moderate to severe on March 30.

“Obviously, it’s a big problem because we don’t get any rain and there’s nothing we can do until the rain comes,” resident Alex Getsy said.

City Council is considering possible solutions.

They are expected to meet on Monday to vote on whether to spend $186,000 to test whether water in reservoir off U.S. 41 is usable. The reservoir is currently owned by Southwest Aggregates, a mining company.

The reservoir is currently owned by Southwest Aggregates, a mining company. If tests show the water is OK, a pump would be used to bring it into the canals.