Water Conservation FAQs

Outdoor water use, primarily lawn and landscape irrigation, can account for approximately 50–60% of a typical household’s water use. Reducing lawn watering during drought conditions is one of the most effective ways to lower overall demand on public water supplies, helping ensure water remains available for essential needs while reducing strain on water systems.

Residents can also conserve water by making sure their irrigation systems are operating efficiently. Regular maintenance such as repairing leaks, replacing damaged sprinkler heads, verifying timer settings, and ensuring rain sensors or soil moisture sensors are working properly can help to reduce water waste.

Properties irrigating with 100% reclaimed water are exempt from the Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Order. However, if reclaimed water is supplemented or blended with a water source that is limited under the water shortage order the restrictions do apply.

Although customers using 100% reclaimed water are exempt from the order, St. Johns County Utility Department customers are encouraged to follow their subdivision-specific reclaimed water irrigation schedules. These schedules help manage system demand and maintain adequate reclaimed water pressure throughout the community.

Golf courses are subject to water conservation requirements under the Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Order, although the specific measures differ from those that apply to residential properties.

Golf course operators are required to reduce irrigation where possible, including limiting irrigation of fairways and driving ranges to no more than once per week, reducing watering of tees and greens to no more than 3 times per week, minimizing irrigation of rough areas, and suspending equipment washing activities when feasible. Golf courses that irrigate using 100% reclaimed water may be exempt from certain irrigation reductions outlined in the order.

Water shortage decisions are based on hydrologic conditions across the entire area covered by the St. Johns River Water Management District, not solely on rainfall in a particular neighborhood or county. While some areas of St. Johns County have received beneficial rainfall, other parts of the SJRWMD continue to experience significant rainfall deficits.

In addition to rainfall totals, the St. Johns River Water Management District evaluates groundwater (aquifer) levels, river and stream flows, lake levels, and other water resource indicators when determining whether restrictions are necessary. Drought recovery requires sustained rainfall over an extended period and improvements across the broader region before restrictions can be lifted.

Drought conditions and Water Shortage Orders are related, but they are not the same.

Drought designations, such as those shown on the U.S. Drought Monitor, are based primarily on environmental conditions including rainfall deficits, temperature and evaporation rates, soil moisture, streamflows, and other indicators used to measure the severity of drought.

A Water Shortage Order is issued by the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to protect regional water resources and is based on a broader evaluation of hydrologic conditions across the entire affected area. When determining whether restrictions are necessary, the SJRWMD considers multiple factors, including districtwide rainfall totals, groundwater (aquifer) levels, river and stream flows, lake levels, weather forecasts, water demand, and drought indicators.

Because the Water Shortage Order is based on regional conditions rather than rainfall in any single community, restrictions may remain in place even when some areas, including portions of St. Johns County, have recently received significant rainfall. The order remains in effect until water resource conditions improve across the broader region and the SJRWMD determines that restrictions are no longer necessary.

In short, drought maps help describe current conditions, while Water Shortage Orders are management tools used to protect water supplies and ensure sustainable water resources throughout the region.

Current watering restrictions, conservation tips, and information about the Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Order are available on the St. Johns County Water Conservation webpage.