The South Florida Water Management District, the government agency that manages water resources in 16 counties, met on Thursday in West Palm Beach.

In preparation for an ongoing drought in Florida, the SFWMD issued a water shortage warning on Feb. 5 to encourage voluntary conservation efforts among residents in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.

If voluntary water conservation measures fail, the SFWMD passed a resolution on Thursday allowing the executive director to issue an order declaring a water shortage and imposing restrictions.

The resolution allows for “a shortage order, if needed, if conditions are lower in the system,” said Carolina Maran, the SFWMD’s resiliency officer.

The use restrictions would be related to the Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, the Lower Tamiami Aquifer in Lee and Collier counties, and the Indian Prairie Basin in Glades and Highlands counties.

“This is the earliest we have seen it this dry in a long time, going back to the 90s,” said Nyla Pipes, the executive director of the One Florida Foundation, a nonprofit organization focusing on water resources.

Pipes said it’s time for the government to enforce water use restrictions.

“If we don’t have enough water in Lake Omer or our canals, there’s a real chance we can have trouble getting water from the tap,” Pipes said. “We could face that extreme by March, early April, if we’re not careful.”

The SFWMD delegates also passed a resolution to transfer funds between programs for activities at Lake Okeechobee and for water supply.

The resolution defines Lake Okeechobee low-water-level activities to include “environmental enhancements, water supply, and navigational improvement projects.”

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