Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Were July rains a drought buster? Tampa Bay still needs more of them

tampabay.com · 5dShare

Recent rainfall chipped away at a stubborn, extreme drought that has gripped the Tampa Bay area since April. But regional water managers and utilities still urge residents to conserve water while dry conditions persist. Tropical Storm Bertha and a cold front last week dumped about 7 inches of rain on Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties in July. Despite those downpours, the month ended about 1½ inches drier than usual, according to water managers. And uneven rains that mostly fell near the coastline did little to alleviate the region’s low river levels, according to an update from Tampa Bay Water, the regional drinking water utility. A lack of consistent rain in the Hillsborough and Alafia River headwaters means river flows have not recovered enough to resume pumping the typical amount of drinking water. Instead, the water utility has relied on groundwater wells and its water reservoir in southeast Hillsborough County. The reservoir, which stores drinking water for use durin

First report: Recent rain in DC region ‘didn’t do much to dent the drought’ of drinking water supply, expert says — wtop.com, 8d