Tampa Bay Regional Water Supply and Drought Index (September 8, 2008

CLEARWATER (September 8, 2008)— Surface water availability and long-term regional drinking water storage conditions remained steady but below normal in the Tampa Bay region in August, as the region did not receive much beneficial rain from tropical storm Fay.

Adequate, but below normal, surface water flow conditions allowed water to be added to the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir. Regional water facts for August:

• Rainfall deficits were generally consistent throughout the region, averaging about 2 inches below normal (normal is about 8 inches), with a few gages in extreme southeast Hillsborough County receiving above normal rainfall. South-central Pasco/northern Hillsborough County received about 3 inches (5 inches below normal).
• Long-term rainfall deficits for the Hillsborough River basin increased about 2 inches to about 31.5 inches while negligible changes occurred in the Alafia River watershed reducing the deficit slightly to just below 13 inches, respectively.
• Flow in the Hillsborough River was about 36% below normal, about an 11% increase from reduced July flows.
• Alafia River flow was about 40% below normal in August.
• Regional water demand in August averaged about 223 million gallons per day (mgd), slightly lower than July’s demand.
• The minimum demand day on August 23 of 201 mgd represents the lowest daily demand in the system during the year. This occurred as a result of cloudy, damp weather associated with tropical storm Fay. Demands increased to about 244 mgd three days later, due to sunny dry weather.
• As of September 3, 2008, 6.51 billion gallons of water were stored in the Regional Reservoir.
• Operational constraints will limit Regional Reservoir storage capacity through spring 2009 to about 6.5 billion gallons.

Below normal rainfall in early September has increased supplemental landscape irrigation. Surface water flow deficits and long-term below normal rainfall continue to plague the region. Above normal rainfall during the next few months is required to eliminate the current surface water flow deficit problems, and provide flows for treatment.

Tampa Bay Water continues in a Level II Water Shortage, and continues to request the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey and counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco to reduce demand and increase enforcement of water restrictions. The entire 16-county Southwest Florida Water Management District area remains in a Level II Water Shortage.

For more information contact Dave Bracciano or Alison Adams at 727.796.2355.