Record Low Water Levels in the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer in Northeastern Cape Coral

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - In order to continue to protect groundwater in the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer, the South Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board authorized the District's Executive Director to issue a Water Shortage Order imposing Modified Phase IV Water Shortage restrictions if/when the water levels in the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer decline below the "future action level" of -93.01 feet for two consecutive weeks. As of April 9, 2025, the water level at the USGS Monitoring Well L-4820 in the water shortage area is at -91.68 feet.

Phase IV water restrictions would mean that residents in the designated area will no longer be able to use their lawn irrigation systems. Currently, landscape irrigation is limited to one day a week in the designated area for irrigation water supplied by private wells. The restrictions are put into place to protect the aquifer and drinking water supply.

The District's Governing Board declared a water shortage and issued mandatory irrigation restrictions in November of 2023 for a portion of Cape Coral and unincorporated Lee County to protect the aquifer.

The Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer, located approximately 125 feet underground, provides water to many private wells in this area. Water levels within this aquifer are at record low levels.

Residents can help alleviate the water shortage situation by following their irrigation rules and taking steps to conserve water as much as possible.

The current modified Phase III water shortage restrictions allow one day per week irrigation as follows:

For residents within the designated area in the City of Cape Coral, click here.

For residents within the designated area in unincorporated Lee County, the irrigation requirements are:

• Even-numbered addresses, installations with irrigation systems that irrigate both even and odd-numbered addresses within the same zones, such as multi-family units and homeowners' associations, and rights-of-way or other locations with no address, can irrigate only on Sundays.
• Odd-numbered addresses can irrigate only on Saturdays.
• Landscape irrigation users located in unincorporated portions of Northeastern Cape Coral, are prohibited from irrigating between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on their assigned day.
• Low volume irrigation (i.e. drip irrigation and microjet irrigation) shall be voluntarily reduced.
• Hand watering of existing landscape utilizing a self-canceling nozzle is allowed anytime for no more than 10 minutes per area for stress relief or to prevent plant die-off.

Business (Commercial Properties), Duplexes and Multi-Family Units:

• For properties or developments up to and including five acres in size that irrigate multiple properties, including duplexes, multi-family units, compound use and mixed-use units, can irrigate on Thursdays only from 4:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
• For properties or developments more than 5 acres in size that irrigate multiple properties, multi-family units, compound use and mixed-use units, can irrigate only on Fridays from 12:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

All residents and businesses across the region can also use these simple tips to save water:

• Check irrigation timers to ensure settings are correct and rain sensors are working properly. Check irrigation systems to ensure they are working properly and test and repair broken pipes and damaged sprinkler heads.
• Fix leaks. Finding and fixing water leaks conserves water, saves money and protects your home from damage.
• When utilizing water indoors, reduce shower durations, minimize loads of laundry, and only run dishwashers when full.
• Landscaping the Florida-Friendly Way by planting low maintenance plants using environmentally sustainable practices.
• If you are a resident in Northeastern Cape Coral and your well is dry, please reach out to Lee County for more information about drilling a replacement well. Visit leegov.com.

Conserving water year-round is an integral part of managing and protecting our water supplies today and for future generations.

Residents with questions about the irrigation restrictions can visit SFWMD.gov/WaterShortage.

Visit the City of Cape Coral's Lawn Watering Restrictions webpage or you can visit Lee County's Lawn Watering Restrictions webpage for more specific information.