The Southwest Florida Water Management District will recognize Hulbert Homes, Inc. as the first builder in Polk County to have a Florida Water Star Gold ℠ (FWSG) certified home Friday, April 17 at the Polk County Builders Association Parade of Homes Kick-Off Party, 5 p.m. at 2505 Bramble Ridge Dr. in Lakeland.
FWSG is a voluntary certification program for builders. It encourages water efficiency in household appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes, as well as water quality benefits from best management practices in landscapes.
This week Susan Douglas, FWSG program coordinator, certified the Hulbert Homes, Inc. Wilmington Grande II model, located at 1936 Charleston Lane in Bartow.
Some of the features that make the house a FWSG-certified home include water-conserving plumbing fixtures, high-efficiency toilets, water efficient showerheads and ENERGY STAR® appliances. In addition, the landscape features low-maintenance, micro-irrigated Florida-friendly plant beds and the irrigation system limits the amount of high-volume irrigation (spray or rotor heads) to less than 50 percent.
“FWSG is a win-win-win program,” said Douglas. “The builder, the new homeowners who save money on their water bills, and Florida’s water resources all benefit.”
This is the second FWSG-certified house in the District’s 16-county area. In addition to meeting the FWSG criteria, Hulbert’s project is certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition and is an Energy Star Certified custom home.
“We believe everyone should do their part to be good stewards of the environment and to help preserve this planet for generations to come,” said Mark Hulbert, Hulbert Homes,Inc. president. “That is why we build custom homes that are FGBC Green certified, Energy Star certified, and now Florida Water Star Gold certified.”
The model will be featured in the Polk County Builders Association’s Parade of Homes, which takes place April 18 – 26.
For more information on how to become a certified FWSG community, contact Susan Douglas, FWSG program coordinator, at (352) 796-7211, ext. 4752.