[skip0358]

Originally Posted by pauld315

Not all of The Villages uses reclaimed water

Well if that's the case they shouldn't be affected by the restriction. Nobody said you could only shower or do laundry once a week.

[autumnspring]

Originally Posted by CFrance

This is what we used to do at Lake Michigan, where everything is built on sand. The water drains right through into the sand and nothing is retained, so more frequent watering for shorter periods is the way to go. I plan to try this, because our lawn looks like the Sahara Desert with two days per week.

The soil? our homes are on is sandy clay or clayey sand.

Many people have a professional? who applies liquid fertilizer.
To be a liquid, it is of course water soluble. It is like putting miragrow on a plant-it lasts only two weeks.

You need to improve your soil-ADD ORGANIC MATTER.
A LOT OF ORGANIC MATTER-A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

You want to use LESS fertilizer. Putting down more fertilizer forces the lawn to grow and thus need more water.

You should take a shovel and remove a plug out of your lawn. You will see what YOU have. Most likely yu have half an inch of dark soil that came with the sod that was installed over the sandy clay-quick easy done. Unfortunately your grass has no reason to send roots into the sandy clay so it does not. With PROPER soil preparation your lawn grass roots should be down 6 to 8 inches.

The good news. Grass goes dormant if there is little water.
It will come back to life now that we are entering our rainy
season.

[autumnspring]

Originally Posted by pauld315

Are you sure ? Do they actually have somebody walk door to door reading water meters once a month ? About 5 years ago at my house in Cary NC they installed a system where they don't have to send anybody to read meters anymore. I have a website I can go to and see my water usage by the hour if I want to. There is about a 3 or 4 hour delay from usage to updating the website. It is actually useful as you can setup alerts when your water usage exceeds x gallons in a day etc.

I'm sure there are different systems but, I ask when I see workmen? walking about. Truth be told, I do not like the way these people simply walk onto your property. Not my line of work but if I wanted to rob people I would put on a work uniform knock on the door to see if you are home and clean you out. It is very unusual that you neighbors would even notice.

To the water meter. We have one of those green plastic plates in the lawn. To read the meter, he can read right through the plate-without removing it.

[retiredguy123]

I think they have an electronic reader, so they don't need to open the meter box. They only need to be near it.

[ditka41]

I am disappointed that we are ordered to cut back on our already limited lawn watering, while at the same time pretending it's fantastic to just continue building thousands more new houses. All those new places will require MUCH more water for their newly installed sod, to say nothing of all the other requirements for water at each new home. Does anyone else think enough is enough and we should stop our seemingly endless expansion? Or, is it more important to penalize current residents in order to keep the developer's almighty money machine producing? At some point the overbuilding is going to backfire and we'll see property values plummet when we don't have the natural resources to support it. Since the greed will not evaporate, we'll just have to pray for sufficient rains or be content with rock landscaping as seen in developments in desert areas "out West". Enjoy the golf courses while we still have them.

[retiredguy123]

I don't believe that there is a water shortage, or that The Villages needs to slow down on expansion. Where is the evidence? Look at the population density in other parts of the country and the world and compare it to here. I remember the long lines to buy gas in the early 1970's, and they said that the world is running out of oil. In response, Ralph Nader said, "the world is swimming in oil". He was absolutely correct.

[CapeCouple]

Thanks for that additional irrigation information!

A Fellow Marylander

[Maddie2009]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

Thanks. I was also very suspicious of the 6pm-8pm restriction.

Even the President told me to water between 6-8 pm, I will not do it as you have a good chance to get fungus on your lawn. Then, who will pay to treat the fungus,..they are real pain..keep coming back and expensive to treat.

When someone has a really good/correct answer for this, please re-post it as a recap please.

[Putt4Dough]

saw this in the online news

The approved rate structures for the Village Center Service Area, Little Sumter Service Area, the North Sumter County Utility Dependent District, Sumter Water Conservation Authority, and Fenney Water Conservation Authority include an Environmental Protection Rate Surcharge in the event a water shortage is declared by SWFWMD. In accordance with the rate structure, a 10 percent surcharge will be added to water usage beginning June 5 as a result of SWFWMD’s declaration of a Phase III Water Shortage.

I can imagine this conversation taking place.

Beancounter 1 "if we institute watering restrictions, revenues will go down by 10%"

Beancounter 2. "No problem, we will institute a 10% surcharge, call it something like Environmental Protection, yeah, that's the ticket!"

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by photo1902

I had the same problem. Blue wire disconnected, now it stays at 100%.

Same problem here...found I was watering at 20% last month...wondering why plants were looking frazzled.

Disconnected the blue wire - no problems anymore.

[capecoralbill]

Originally Posted by suesiegel

The soil? our homes are on is sandy clay or clayey sand.


The good news. Grass goes dormant if there is little water.
It will come back to life now that we are entering our rainy
season.

No, not really, the weeds then take over, i lost a lot of st augustine last year, and the weeds took over, had to resod in many patches, just now looking decent again, and they want me to turn the water off???
I dont have recyled water, so now what am i un affected?? Living here is not as easy i thoulght it would be. Plus it it too GD hot.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Putt4Dough

saw this in the online news

The approved rate structures for the Village Center Service Area, Little Sumter Service Area, the North Sumter County Utility Dependent District, Sumter Water Conservation Authority, and Fenney Water Conservation Authority include an Environmental Protection Rate Surcharge in the event a water shortage is declared by SWFWMD. In accordance with the rate structure, a 10 percent surcharge will be added to water usage beginning June 5 as a result of SWFWMD’s declaration of a Phase III Water Shortage.

I can imagine this conversation taking place.

Beancounter 1 "if we institute watering restrictions, revenues will go down by 10%"

Beancounter 2. "No problem, we will institute a 10% surcharge, call it something like Environmental Protection, yeah, that's the ticket!"

Is that the only penalty???...........10% Surcharge??

[Putt4Dough]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Is that the only penalty???...........10% Surcharge??

I believe the 10% surcharge applies to everyone in those named water districts. Whether you cut usage or not. Call them and ask if you like. They'll probably say the surcharge is to protect the environment or something. The wording is pretty clear that the surcharge is applied to all no matter what your usage is.

in the event a water shortage is declared by SWFWMD. In accordance with the rate structure, a 10 percent surcharge will be added to water usage beginning June 5 as a result of SWFWMD’s declaration of a Phase III Water Shortage.

[justjim]

Snowbirds/Snowflakes that have a"housewatch" company should be able to get them to adjust their irrigation system accordingly. Perhaps we will get sufficient rain this summer but hopefully no severe storms.

[JoMar]

Correct me if I have this wrong but the water restrictions for irrigation which does not come from the Aquifer. If there is a surcharge it will be on potable water since that does come from the aquifer. Our irrigation water comes from ponds, run off, potties etc.? Looking at those areas it's pretty evident the water levels are down. Also, if they do a surcharge that isn't a penalty so if someone wanted to continue to water at the existing usage rate and were willing to pay the surcharge there would be no incentive for them to change their usage.