With the Tampa Bay area barely recovering from a 4-year drought, and even tighter water restrictions imposed last month, residents complain that they are forced to conserve while developers build more homes.
On July 24th, Hillsborough County Commissioners will discuss a temporary halt to new construction in response to lawn watering bans in eastern and southern Hillsborough. The County adopted the ban at the insistence of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which accused the County of wasting water. The ban applies to a wellfield not connected to the rest of the regional water system run by Tampa Bay Water. The County's agreement with Tampa Bay Water stipulates that the regional utility must provide as much water as Hillsborough needs. Technically, the county should never run out of water. But a moratorium is obviously popular with residents. According to an e-mail from resident Claude Fortin, "Conservation measures by residents in our part of the county will never keep pace with the water use required for new homes."
Thanks to Sheryl Stolzenberg
Read the full story: A Moratorium On Development? It's Time To Talk
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