Water aquifer levels are low due to the dry season, causing well water issues for many in northwest Cape Coral.
For some residents, their water shuts off throughout the day.
“We’re only doing laundry like once a week,” northwest Cape Coral resident Robert Stewart said. “My other neighbors are having problems with their wells, too.”
Stewart has been dealing with these well water issues for years. Some, like Gary Thompson, are luckier.
“My neighbor was talking about it,” Thompson said. “Ours was the right depth because I looked into it after, and it wasn’t affected. He had to buy new equipment and a whole new process.”
Their wells are deep enough that they do not lose water often. The dry season makes it worse, especially for those relying on shallow aquifers.
“So, we saw the water levels drop last year, and we’re continuing to see them decline into June,” a Florida SouthWestern State College expert said. “And here we are already at those low levels in March. So we’re a lot lower than we were last year at this time.”
Water levels are low right now, which does not shock Van Gaalen.
“I have family members who live in northwest Cape,” he said. “Around this time of year, they start to have issues. And for many of the folks I speak with, I hear that new neighbors have moved in.”
The city of Cape Coral has a solution: the Utilities Extension Project, which will eventually connect everyone to city water. But for many, it could take up to 10 years.