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MAITLAND, Fla., Oct. 10, 2017 – The Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) estimates central Florida will need an additional 250 million gallons of water per day by 2035 to meet the demands of a growing population. An update on the CFWI's work to meet that demand through increased water conservation and alternative water sources was presented today to the St. Johns River Water Management District's Governing Board. "Water conservation is the least expensive way to help…

A water conservation project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Manatee County will reduce demand and conserve water.The project will offer rebates to eligible residents who install a rain sensor device on their automatic irrigation system. Residents who live in the western unincorporated service area of Manatee County and the cities of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach are eligible to participate if they use potable water for…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Tampa are offering residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low-flow models.The District and the City of Tampa have co-funded this project, known as the Toilet Rebate Program, since 1994. This year the program will provide approximately 2,200 toilet rebates. Approximately 28,000 toilets have been replaced with low flow models since the program began.The project goals…

The Weekiwachee Preserve is an area of protected land owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District). Covering over 11,200 acres, the preserve is in Hernando County. It provides a wide array of wildlife habitats, including several miles along the Weeki Wachee River, portions of the Mud River, dense hardwood swamps, freshwater and saltwater marshes and pine-…

Top: Carl Wright, District senior water conservation analyst, left, and Nick Makris, District staff water conservation analyst, use the District’s computerized leak correlator to pinpoint the location of a known leak. Above: Nick Makris listens to a water valve to determine if he can hear a leak sound. Two weeks of work by District staff cost the City of Tarpon Springs nothing, but could save the city thousands of gallons of water per day. District water…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of North Port are working together on two projects that will help reduce demand and conserve water.North Port Water Conservation and Retrofit ProgramThe North Port Water Conservation and Retrofit Program will offer financial incentives to residents who retrofit their homes with water efficient fixtures such as low-flow toilets, low-flow showerheads and rain sensors. Residents who install a low-…

Did you know that a three-person household can save 675 gallons of water a month by simply turning off the faucet when brushing teeth and shaving?Making these kind of simple changes to your daily routine make a big difference. That’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District is sharing its top outdoor and indoor water-saving tips during Water Conservation Month.Outdoor tips

• A garden hose without a shutoff nozzle can waste up to 530 gallons of water in…

For about 2.7 million residents in a five-county area of Central Florida, the Floridan aquifer system is the main source of stored freshwater. And while Florida generally receives 50 to 55 inches of rainfall each year, not all that rain reaches the aquifer. About 37 inches evaporates back into the air or runs off land into ponds, lakes or rivers. Today, the current average total water use is about 800 million gallons per day in Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole…

The District has been working closely with the regional water supply authorities within its boundaries over the last several decades to reduce the region’s reliance on traditional groundwater supplies and achieve environmental recovery by developing alternative water supplies.There is a critical need to develop additional alternative water supplies to meet the region’s substantial population growth and its associated water supply needs. Population growth within the District…

Peace River Elementary students in Charlotte County will study how rain barrels save water thanks to a "Splash! school grant":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The goal of the Splash! school grant program is to provide teachers with funding to enhance student knowledge of topics that meet the District's core mission and teach students about their local watersheds, water conservation, quality and supply…

A monthly graph of rainfall as a 12-month departure from mean shows deficits lasting longer than surpluses in recent history. As the annual observance of April as Water Conservation Month approaches, water resources in west-central Florida are still feeling the effects of the extended drought. The District’s entire 16-county area has been under a Phase I water shortage alert since last fall. A Phase I alert is intended to raise the public’s awareness of dry…

The District is helping people replace those water wasters in the bathroom by partnering with area cities and utilities to provide low-flow toilet rebate programs. There are numerous ongoing low-flow toilet rebate programs currently within the District. Most offer up to a $100 rebate when residents replace inefficient toilets with low-flow models. The District splits the cost with participating cities and utilities. Choosing low-flow toilets is important because…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Tampa are offering residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low-flow models.The District and the City of Tampa have co-funded this project, known as the Tampa Plumbing Retrofit and Education Project, since 1994. This year the program will provide approximately 2,200 toilet rebates. Approximately 28,000 toilets have been replaced with low-flow models since the program…

West-central Florida has had an abnormally wet winter and spring, but water conservation is as important as ever. The area is still recovering from a four-year drought, and lake levels are still low. The District’s Governing Board recently extended Modified Phase II water shortage restrictions to help the region in its drought recovery and keep the subject of …

Both the United States government and Florida have adopted water quality goals and standards. Each water body has its own standards. For example, water used for drinking has to be much cleaner than water used for crop irrigation or to cool machinery in a factory. Scientists use information from water monitoring to determine how a water body rates based on its intended use. If scientists rate water quality as GOOD, then the water can fully support its…

Photo courtesy Florida Park Service Terra Ceia Preserve State Park continues to improve — thanks to a recent cleanup project. The District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program staff joined forces with Keep Manatee Beautiful, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and students from Eckerd College and New College of Florida for the project. As part of the 25th annual International Coastal Cleanup, the District’s SWIM Program…

Deborah Webb, student intern,working on the Alkalinity Titrator; Matt Jablonski, staff chemist, measures chlorophyll concentrations. Every day, Laura Casino, District chemist, takes water samples from ice-filled coolers delivered to the lab for chlorophyll analysis. Since chlorophyll degrades quickly, the samples are collected in opaque containers that protect it from any light and then preserved in ice. Laura removes the containers, taking short breaks between…

Despite reports that the District did not take measures to minimize flood risks for Lake Thonotosassa from Hurricane Milton, District structure operators lowered the lake to the maximum amount possible before the storm.The District also conducted a federally funded debris removal project earlier this year on Flint Creek, which is natural creek where water is released from the lake north to the Hillsborough River. Trees and limbs from a previous storm were removed to help…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has scheduled repairs to the culvert at the District's P-3 water conservation structure. The structure is located northwest of Auburndale near the northeast shore of Whistler Lake, off Kirkland Lake Drive. The structure's gate is manually operated to help maintain water levels on Lake Arietta.Repair work is scheduled to begin the first week of April and will be completed before the rainy season, which typically…