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.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is gathering information to improve identification of flood prone areas in Polk County.

The District will provide a virtual public comment period now through April 29 at WaterMatters.org/Floodplain for the public to view preliminary data for flood prone areas within the Davenport Watershed. The website will present preliminary data for flood prone areas and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments.

After addressing the public comments, information will be finalized and presented to the District’s Governing Board for approval to use the data for regulatory purposes. This information is not currently being incorporated into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs); however, it may be used in future DFIRM updates.

The information, which identifies areas prone to flooding, can be used by local governments for land use and zoning decisions, to help manage development in and around floodplains and wetlands, to reduce flood risks, to preserve land and water resources, and for emergency planning. It will also provide valuable information to the public for decisions about purchasing and protecting property.

For more information or to find out which watershed you live in, please visit WaterMatters.org/Floodplain or call the District at (352) 796-7211, ext. 4297.