Southwest Florida faces water shortage warning due to low rainfall

DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS, Fla. - The South Florida Water Management District issued a water shortage warning for multiple counties, including Glades, Collier, and Lee, all located on Florida's southwest coast.

Residents in these areas need to be cautious with their water usage.

Lee and Collier counties have experienced only 2.21 inches of rainfall since the beginning of November, leading to a rainfall deficit of 3.94 inches. The district reported declining groundwater levels in the lower Tamiami aquifer stations, indicating a need for conservation efforts to prevent future water restrictions.

"The warning is not a is a voluntary ask that people pay attention and conserve water," said Tom Colios of the South Florida Water Management District. "If conditions worsen and we still have a lack of rainfall for the next few months, we might issue mandatory water shortage restrictions that would reduce the number of days and hours that you can use water for outside purposes, perhaps even down to zero days if it gets extremely bad."

The district emphasized the importance of limiting lawn and landscape watering, especially during the winter months when less water is needed. They suggested watering only once a week, reducing shower time, washing fewer laundry loads, and running dishwashers with full loads.