Marco Island avoids water shortage despite county drought warning

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — While communities across Southwest Florida face drought conditions, Marco Island's water supply remains in great shape despite the extreme drought conditions.

Collier County didn't hit this level of drought last year until late April. The early onset is due to a lack of rain. Fox 4 Certified Meteorologist Katie Walls said Marco Island has received only 22% of its normal rainfall so far this dry season.

Last Friday, the South Florida Water Management District issued a water shortage warning for Collier County, which includes Marco Island.

Despite those numbers, the city's general manager of water said the island is in good shape because they don't draw from the same aquifer that the county does.

"So we have about a billion gallons of water that's recoverable in the ground that we can use to help supplement our system. And that will give us over a two year supply of water in the case of an extreme drought," Jeffrey Poteet said.

Poteet said stormwater runoff, surface water and brackish water all contribute to the city's water supply.

But he did say, although the island is in good shape, it's important to conserve water all year round.

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