The objective of the Water Shortage Order Warning Order is to reduce water use and increase awareness of the need to conserve water in order to prevent potential adverse environmental and economic impacts such as:
- Supply problems for private well users due to lower aquifer levels
- Lower lake levels, beyond the natural lower levels resulting from the drought itself, which might increase impacts to natural systems and recreational or commercial uses
- Creation of a deficit from which it would take longer to recover with the return of normal rainfall
- Degrading water quality in wells located in some parts of the district
- Greater potential for sinkhole formation in limited areas
The Water Shortage Order is different from Watering Restrictions. Lawn Watering Restrictions are year-round mandatory restrictions that specify the days and hours (4pm to 10am) when you may water your lawn. A water shortage order is a temporary measure, which includes additional voluntary and mandatory restrictions and is issued because of below-average rainfall, groundwater and surface water flows, and in anticipation of prolonged drought.
How can you help?
The largest water savings can be obtained by reducing the amount of water used on lawns and landscapes. Please set your irrigation timers to coincide with these days and times. Each zone should be adjusted to irrigate for the shortest period of time to maintain live lawn conditions.
Learn how you can have a beautiful landscape that could save you time, energy and money while protecting our future through Florida Friendly LandscapingTM.
Florida Friendly LandscapingTM means using low-maintenance plants and environmentally sustainable practices. Choosing the right plant for the right place goes a long way towards conserving water. Look for fertilizers with slow-release nitrogen and little or no phosphorous. Never fertilize within 10 feet of any water body, and don’t fertilize before a heavy rain. Mulch helps retain soil moisture, protects plants and inhibits weed growth.
For tips on saving water please visit: Water Conservation/Saving Water
For more information on Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ please visit http://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/
Brevard County Utility Services Department operates six wastewater treatment plants and three drinking water plants, providing quality drinking water, reclaimed irrigation water, and wastewater services throughout Brevard County. As an enterprise operation, the Utility is funded entirely from customer user fees and does not receive any tax dollars.
Click here for the Service Area Map
The system operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and must meet numerous State and Federal regulations, which require a dedicated team from a variety of disciplines working together to oversee the Utility infrastructure and assets.
The economic climate of the past several years created a challenge to the prioritization of resources needed to continually operate, maintain and update an aging infrastructure. In 2013 an asset evaluation was performed that identified how to best manage our resources and sustain the integrity of the current system, as well as budget, plan and anticipate future water and wastewater demands. Our customers can look forward to a variety of important improvements over the next few years.
Brevard County Utility Services Department is committed to providing high quality services and customer feedback is critical to our success in meeting this goal. We welcome any comments or suggestions that you care to make concerning our services or this web page. Please feel free to contact the Utility Services Director,
James Helmer, by email or at the address and telephone number to the right on any matter concerning our department, our services, or our plans for the future.