CAPE CORAL, Fla. — For years, North Cape Coral has been in a water shortage and some people have spent thousands of dollars to replace their well pumps.
Now, the city is working to bring city water to North Cape, but that's going to take years. So, the South Florida Water Management District has created an action plan, in case water levels in the aquifer continue to drop.
Find out how your home could be affected from Fox 4's Bella Line:
"It's just behaving differently than what we've experienced, you know, over the last two decades. So, to make a judgment on what's going to happen is very challenging,” said Mark Elsner, Bureau Chief of the South Florida Water Management District.
Elsner says right now the water is sitting at around 90 feet below sea level in the aquifer.
He says if the water gets to 93 feet below sea level then people will be asked to not water their lawns at all. If it drops even more to 103 feet below sea level, the county will be asked to stop issuing new well permits and everyone who is using the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer will not be allowed to water their lawns.
"Follow the requirements on the irrigation restrictions and just conserve water,” said Elsner. "What we're trying to do is preserve the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer to meet those potable needs until the city's Utility Extension Program is built."
It's not just the homes in North Cape Coral that will be on these restrictions.
"When you look at other uses, you have a business park, you have a school, there may be another park up there, but the main use is landscape,” said Elsner.
Elsner says single-family homes are the majority of users when it comes to the aquifer, and on average, one home uses around 11,000 gallons of water every month.
With the first UEP section expected to be done at the end of the year, Elsner says that should get about 2,000 homes on city water and out of the aquifer.
