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Tampa Bay Area sees driest rainy season in more than a decade
Experts say this rainy season, which just wrapped, was one of the driest in a very long time, leading several municipalities across the Tampa Bay area to lower the reclaimed water's pressure due to demand.
DUNEDIN, Fla. - The Tampa Bay area’s rainy season was one of the driest in more than a decade. With dry season starting earlier this month and running until late May, officials are asking residents to conserve water.
According to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2007 was the last rainy season that was this dry.
"We had a very dry spring," Tamera McBride, a hydrologic data manager with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, said. "The wet season, as I mentioned, has been dry, and at this point, we like to look at our 12-month rainfall totals. The 12-month rainfall total is 9.9 inches below the mean below average rainfall for this time of year."
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"We've seen some dry times over the past decades, but this is definitely one of the driest it's been in a long time," Brandon Moore, the public communications manager for Tampa Bay Water, said.
McBride said Hurricane Idalia helped rainfall totals, but not enough.
"It is difficult to overcome the amount of rain when we're in the summertime storm periods, and we receive regular afternoon thunderstorms," McBride said. "Over time incrementally, that builds up and helps us with our 12-month total, but we didn't receive as much of that as normal. So, one big storm, it's hard to make up the deficit with just one big storm."
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of the area are experiencing severe and extreme drought conditions. Tampa Bay Water said it’s like an entire month of rainfall didn’t happen. Moore said the region is in a stage one water shortage, which means water conservation is even more important.
"Water restrictions for our region are year-round, and there are times like now that it's really dry. And when it gets dry like this, it really shows that it's time to save some water," Moore said. "Use only what you need. You can do things like fix leaks in your home, turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, but the biggest savings come from outdoor watering."
Moore said outdoor watering can use up to 50% of the water used at home. He said it’s important to only water on the days you’re allowed by your municipality and if it rains, skip a week of watering afterwards.
Dunedin officials said reclaimed water pressure isn’t available right now because of the dry conditions and high demand. It has been on and off since May, officials said, which is normal during drought conditions. You can call the Dunedin Water Division to see if reclaimed water is available near you.
Clearwater and St. Pete said their reclaimed water systems are operating normally for the dry season, which means periodically reducing the reclaimed water pressure due to the demand.
Water restrictions vary by county and municipality. You can type in your zip code on Tampa Bay Water’s website to find out the restrictions in your area.