County residents urged to reduce water usage

Sarasota County utility officials are urging residents and businesses to limit their use of toilets, washing machines, dishwashers and any other appliances that could result in additional wastewater being sent to the wastewater collection system.

The rains that have assaulted the area from Tropical Storm Debby are causing Sarasota County’s four major water reclamation facilities to become overloaded, according to a county news release. So far Sarasota County has received several inches of rain, resulting in downed tree limbs, localized street flooding and overloaded storm drains, the release adds.

Residents are advised to continue to pay close attention to local news media for updates on the situation. Additional flooding, tornado warnings or other urgent updates could happen as Tropical Storm Debby churns across the Gulf of Mexico, county officials point out.

For information about storm preparation, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000 or visit www.scgov.net and click on the “All Hazards” button.