Manatee County urges residents to conserve water during dry spell

Manatee County officials are urging residents to conserve water as a dry spell continues in the area.

The most important way residents can help is abiding by county watering restrictions, according to utilities director Mike Gore.

“Although there is more than an adequate supply of our water sources, and because the rainy season has not yet started, we’re asking MCUD customers to adhere to our year-round watering restrictions,” Gore said in a public advisory. “May is one of the drier months of the year, with conditions this year even drier than usual.”

The county’s water system is also strained because of upgrades currently underway at the Lake Manatee Water Treatment Plant, according to the advisory.

County water restrictions include limiting irrigation to no more than two times a week as well as sticking to assigned watering days. Those days are Thursday and Sunday for addresses ending in even numbers and Wednesday and Saturday for addresses ending in odd numbers. Watering should be done before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Residents with a home owners association should check to see if the association has different approved watering days, according to the county.

Officials are also asking county utilities customers to conserve drinking water by avoiding the following practices:

• Allowing water to flow from an unattended hose.
• Hand watering a lawn on an otherwise restricted day or more than once a day.
• Hosing down a driveway or other impervious surface to remove grass clippings or other debris that can be removed with a broom or other dry methods.
• Hosing down a building or other structure to remove cobwebs or other material that can be removed with a broom or other dry methods.

Residents can visit mymanatee.org/water for more water conservation tips.

This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 5:00 AM.