The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold an independent, scientific peer review of wetland-based criteria for use in establishing minimum wetland and lake levels beginning this month. A minimum level is the level of groundwater in an aquifer or the level of surface water at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area.

The review will be conducted by a three-member panel virtually via Microsoft Teams, teleconference and a web board established specifically for the peer review.

The meetings will take place:

• May 23 at 9 a.m.
• May 31 at 1 p.m.
• June 6 at 1 p.m.
• July 11 at 1 p.m.
• July 18 at 1 p.m.

Members of the public can join the meetings virtually and register to use the web board to post comments regarding the peer review process. Links to the Teams meetings can be found on the District’s Boards, Meetings and Events calendar at WaterMatters.org/calendar. The web board will be open for posting comments through July 19, 2022, and open for viewing through June 30, 2023.

The draft documents on the wetland-based criteria to be considered by the panel will be made available on the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/documents-and-reports. Based on findings of the peer review panel, District staff anticipate using the wetland criteria to support development of minimum levels that will be recommended to the District’s Governing Board for rule adoption to support water use regulation and water supply planning.

For more information regarding the scientific peer review, please contact Doug Leeper, MFLs Program Lead with the District’s Environmental Flows and Assessments Section at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4272.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is hosting career fairs to recruit people seeking a rewarding career protecting the region’s water resources. The career fairs are open to the public and attendees are encouraged to bring current resumes.

The District is a government agency that employs a diverse workforce from across a wide variety of disciplines, including administrative, business and finance, trades work, mechanical, heavy equipment operation, well drilling, natural sciences and engineering, and many more.

• The Brooksville career fair will take place Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to noon at District Headquarters, located at 2379 Broad Street in Brooksville.
• The Tampa career fair will take place Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at the District’s Tampa Service Office located at 7601 US Hwy. 301 in Tampa.

The District maintains a supportive and inclusive work culture that fosters success through teamwork and collaboration. The District offers generous time off, health, dental and vision plans, continuing education opportunities and a 6.38% contribution to the Florida Retirement System. Remote work and flexible work schedules are available for many positions. District offices are located in Brooksville, Tampa, Sarasota and Bartow.

Visit WaterMatters.org/Careers to view and apply for current openings.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board declared April Water Conservation Month at its March meeting. April is historically one of the driest months of the year and typically marks the peak demand season for public water suppliers.

With these 10 simple tips, you can lower your monthly water bill and do your part to save hundreds of gallons of water:

INDOOR

• Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full.
• Use the shortest clothes washing cycle for lightly soiled loads; normal and permanent-press wash cycles use more water.
• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave, not under running water.
• Scrape, don’t rinse, your dishes before loading in the dishwasher.
• Install high-efficiency showerheads, faucets and toilets.

OUTDOOR

• Check your home’s irrigation system for leaks.
• Turn off your irrigation system and only water as needed.
• Don’t leave sprinklers unattended. Use a kitchen timer to remind yourself to turn sprinklers off.
• Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle when washing the car.
• Consider installing a rain barrel with a drip irrigation system for watering your landscaping. Rainwater is free and better for your plants because it doesn’t contain hard minerals.

Leaks are the biggest water waster, both inside and outside of your home. You can use your water meter to check for leaks. Turn off all faucets and water-using appliances and make sure no one uses water during the testing period. Wait for the hot water heater and ice cube makers to refill and for regeneration of water softeners. Go to your water meter and record the current reading. Wait 30 minutes. (Remember, no water should be used during this period.) Read the meter again. If the reading has changed, you have a leak.

For more information about water conservation, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Conservation.