Educational Minute regarding ditch operations
In this educational minute, I would like to discuss how the ditch company brings on the ditches in the spring and how we prioritize delivery to all users.
Day #1) We put some water into Florida Farmers Canal and watch it reach Pastorius Reservoir. (This takes most of day 1).
Day #2) We add more water to the Florida Farmers Canal & start some water into the Florida Canal. We then open the reservoir ditch out of Pastorius Reservoir, and watch the water to the end of the ditch. We may also start opening some of our larger laterals so more water can be added to both canals on day 3.
Day #3) Put more water in both canals and start or continue opening larger laterals.
Day #4) Add more water to both canals and continue opening FCDC laterals and chasing the water to the end of those laterals. We may also start delivering water to end users based on their call date and operational needs.
Day 5) Continue to add water to our canals and ditches and deliver water to end users based on call date and operational needs. (This could take a week or two from this point depending on call volume and unforeseen ditch issues.)
This timeline is in a perfect world! Any issues that happen i.e., plugged ditches, leaking ditches, broken or malfunctioning infrastructure, just to name a few, could delay this process from the point we are at when the event occurs. This could mean that your neighbor may have water for a period of time before we can deliver yours. This could be based on operational issues or needs as well as the date and time you ordered your water verses when your neighbor ordered theirs. This also means that just because there is water in the ditch doesn’t mean you have water in the ditch. We will let you know when your water has been put in your ditch and we start charging against your water balances. I assure you that we will work as fast as safely possible to deliver your water and not everyone will be first or last in this process.
I hope this helps with some of the questions I have heard!
Please check the website often for updates regarding your water delivery.
Sincerely, Darren
Educational Minutes
