Aquifer Levels Normal, For Now

The water supplies in Hernando County are better today than they were a year ago.

That might be the only good news.

Based on the rainfall forecasts for the fall and winter, people should prepare for a dryer-than-normal season, said Southwest Florida Water Management District spokeswoman Robyn Felix.

"After a month into the dry season, we've already seen all of our water resources decline rapidly," she said. "We're bracing for a very long dry season."

The district's northern region, which includes Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion and Sumter counties, has an aquifer level of 0.3 feet. Last year, it was more than a half foot below normal.

The normal range is 0 to 4 feet.

It is not just the northern region that is suffering from the threat of a rainless winter.

The district, known as Swiftmud, has tightened its watering restrictions for Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties - a rarity for that region.

"We're expecting things to get worse," Felix said of the reasons behind the restrictions.

As of Sept. 30, the district's northern region had more than 45 inches of rain for 2008 - less than a half-inch of the total for all of 2007.

While the rainy season brought more rain to the area than in the previous two years, it won't be enough to offset the dry weather forecasted for the winter, Felix said.