The Pasco County city of Zephyrhills - which is known for its bottled spring water - voted Monday night to put a halt on new developments for a year because it may run out of water.
Signs leading into Zephyrhills tout it as "The city of pure water." But the city is growing too fast for the amount of water it has been allotted by the water district.
Zephyrhills recently became the biggest city in Pasco County. And the amount of developments that have been proposed could mean the city would go over that limit in two years. That limit was approved in 2020 and was meant to last for another 20 years.
During a public hearing, not one member of the public spoke on the year-long moratorium before it was approved unanimously. City council members only discussed allowing some developments that are outside the city limits - but lie within the city's water service area.
The moratorium won’t stop development applications that have already been filed. But it would affect future approval, based on whether there's enough water available for those new homes.
City officials say they will try to get an increase its water-use permit. That limits how much water the city can use for existing customers and promise to future development.
