HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – It is a tough break for families in Dover right now. After a biting cold snap rolled through Hillsborough County, plenty of folks living on well water woke up to dry taps. It isn’t just a fluke, either; the drop in temperatures triggered a massive spike in local pumping to save crops, leaving the aquifer levels temporarily cratered.
To help neighbors get through the crunch, Hillsborough County is mobilizing emergency water supplies for those who aren’t even on the municipal grid.
Starting today, Feb. 5, the County Water Resources team is setting up shop at the Dover Sports Complex. They are handing out boxed drinking water and running a 300-gallon “Hydration Station” for anyone who needs clean water for cooking or drinking. You can catch them there until 7:30 p.m. tonight, or swing by tomorrow, Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. It is first-come, first-served, so it’s a good idea to head over sooner rather than later.
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But as anyone who has dealt with a dry well knows, the kitchen sink is only half the battle. If you need water just to keep the toilets flushing, there is a separate hydrant-filling station over at the East Service Unit on Sydney Road.
You’ll need to bring your own jugs or buckets for that one, as the water there is non-potable—strictly for utility use, not for drinking. This station follows the same schedule as the sports complex, closing at 7:30 p.m. tonight and running throughout the day on Friday.
The timing of this freeze really couldn’t be worse. The region is already gripped by a modified stage 2 severe drought because our summer and fall rains just didn’t show up like they usually do. When farmers and fish hatcheries have to pump extra water to protect their livelihoods from the frost, it creates a “drawdown” effect.
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The water level in the ground drops below where many residential pumps can reach. If you haven’t already, experts suggest turning off your well pump manually to keep the motor from burning out while the levels are low. Things should stabilize as the weather warms and the heavy pumping stops, but for now, these local stations are a much-needed lifeline.
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