The Southwest Florida Water Management District will use a water conservation restroom trailer to spread the word about water conservation this year at the Florida State Fair, February 10-21.
“Special events like the Florida State Fair allow us to bring our water conservation message to a wide audience,” said Beth Bartos, communications manager for the District. “Thousands of people will be exposed to our message each day.”
The trailer features air conditioning, six private half baths with water conservation features, running water, lights, mirrors and a bathroom attendant who will keep the stalls clean and stocked.
“The water conservation restroom trailer is an effective tool that is practical and popular with the public,” said Bartos.
Although the trailer is an alternative to some bathrooms found at large events, these bathrooms aren’t just about convenience. A water filtration and circulation system for the toilets makes water conservation the main focus. This re-circulation system allows for the water used in the sinks to go down the drains and circulate back to the toilets’ tanks. Once flushed, the toilet water is filtered and chemically treated then returned to the toilets’ tanks. Although state-of-the-art for this event, it’s a system similar to those currently used on airplanes.
By using this filtration system, the water conservation restroom trailer saves more water than a standard restroom trailer. The tank of a regular restroom trailer has to be pumped out after 750 to 800 uses; a water conservation restroom trailer tank doesn’t have to be serviced until approximately 7,000 uses.
In addition to providing an interactive opportunity for visitors to experience water conservation in action, the trailer also features water conservation displays and materials, including the District’s “12 Simple Ways to Save Water” publication and recorded public service announcements.
Last year approximately 100,000 people visited the trailer during the 16 days it spent at festivals in the Hillsborough River Basin, Pinellas-Anclote River Basin and Withlacoochee River Basin. The Hillsborough River basin includes portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties; the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin includes Pinellas County and a portion of Pasco County; and the Withlacoochee River basin includes portions of Citrus, Hernando, Levy, Marion, Pasco and Sumter counties.
Water conservation information is also available on the District’s web site at www.WaterMatters.org.