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A Ruskin community recently celebrated the grand opening of a new clubhouse and playground, but its Florida Water Star℠ (FWS) homes are another reason leaders are celebrating.  Bayou Pass Village 4 recently held a dedication of its newest facilities. The community is the product of the Florida Home Partnership, a nonprofit organization that strives to create affordable housing for low income families. Bayou Pass homes achieve FWS certification. FWS is a…

Seven Sumter County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Sumter County to the strong partnership with Sumter County Schools. Christine Burk, career academy specialist for Sumter County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and helped…

Historical Groundwater and Surface Water Levels, Rainfall and Evapotranspiration DataLast-Recorded Value App »Find the most recent water level or rainfall value for data collection sites.Daily…

Twelve Hernando County teachers are among the record number of educators who applied for and received Splash! mini-grants through the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This year the District awarded Splash! mini-grants to 209 educators totaling more than $413,000. That’s 72 more grant recipients than last year.Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, attributes the increase in awardees to an increase in promotion among the District’s school…

 Aripeka Sandhills Preserve was acquired as part of the Weekiwachee Preserve on November 8, 2007. This was a joint acquisition with the District and Pasco County. Funding was provided by Penny for Pasco.The preserve is part of a regional system of conservation lands that extends up to Crystal River Buffer Preserve, preserving the southernmost coastal hardwood hammock in western Florida. As part of this large preserve, Aripeka Sandhills preserves important habitat…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a modification that increases the amount of water Haines City can withdraw per day.The modification increased the citys permitted withdrawals from 3.83 million gallons per day (mgd) to 5.71 mgd. The increases are needed because of an increase in population.Nine wells are associated with this modified permit. Two of the wells are currently agricultural wells and will be retrofitted for public…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,937 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness…

Dave Orner, District facilities and construction project administrator, and Mark Leytze, District facilities and construction service manager, recently completed the LEED professional accreditation program. Two of the District’s General Services Department staff members, Mark Leytze and Dave Orner, recently became professionally accredited in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED). The LEED…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday passed a resolution proclaiming Sept. 9-15 as “Water Reuse Week.”By declaring “Water Reuse Week,” the District joins the Governor’s office and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in an effort to promote water reuse and the need for water conservation.Water reuse is a key component in meeting the current and future water needs of the region.Water reuse…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit for Haines City.The permit is being issued for a term of 20 years for 5.9 million gallons per day.The increased quantities are based on population projections, which are predicted to increase from 27,233 to 44,858 people over the next 20 years. The permit term reflects the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Brenda Rogers from the Manatee County Extension for organizing the Manatee County Water School. A total of 26 water resources education projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.The 2008 Manatee County Water School reached 50 community, county and municipal decision-makers. The two-day educational program included a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Tarpon Springs are working on a project that will increase reclaimed water storage, allowing the city to effectively manage reclaimed water production and supply throughout the year while adding more reclaimed water customers.The project consists of the design and construction of a 3-million-gallon ground storage tank and the piping needed to efficiently control flow of reclaimed water from the plant to the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Monday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for the Town of Lake Placid, which is located in Highlands County.The modified permit increases the permitted quantities. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 753,600 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 1,192,000 gpd, which is an increase of 438,400 gpd.The increase in quantity is based on an estimated increase in…

Seventeen Manatee County teachers were awarded Splash! school grants through the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Mary Margaret Hull, District lead communications coordinator, attributes the effectiveness of the grant program in Manatee County to the strong partnership with Manatee County Schools. Judy Griffin, curriculum specialist for Manatee County Schools, serves as the District's liaison to teachers and helped…

The best and brightest minds in water reuse from around the world will converge in Tampa this week to take part in the 22nd Annual WateReuse Symposium, which focuses on water reuse and desalination.More than 700 representatives are expected to attend the symposium, which is being held Sept. 9-12 at the Waterside Marriott. This is the first time the WateReuse Association has held its annual event in the Tampa Bay area. The association is a non-profit organization whose…

**Manatee County students at 11 schools will study the issues surrounding our freshwater resources thanks to "Splash! school grants":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.The Manatee County awardees are:* Reinhardt Badow, *Bayshore High*, was awarded $1,986. Students will learn about native versus invasive plants as they design, install and maintain native vegetation on the school's campus and wetland area…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is urging residents to skip their next watering day if they’ve received at least a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain today.Outdoor water use can account for up to fifty percent of residential water use and skipping a week of irrigation will help conserve our limited drinking water supplies.All 16 counties within the District are feeling the effects of the three-year drought.“Even if it is your assigned…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday modified a water use permit (WUP) for the Southeastern Regional Utility Service Area of Polk County. The service area is approximately 1.5 miles west of the city of Frostproof, adjacent to Highway 27 and includes town of Babson Park.The modified permit increases the permitted quantities. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 928,900 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity…

Above left: A certified custom riverfront home in Hernando County. Right: Governing Board Member Ron Oakley, right, and Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader, left, help Ricky Chiles break ground on a Florida Water Star℠ Gold home. The Florida Water Star℠ Gold (FWSG) program is certifying more homes and getting more builders involved in the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m. at Dunnellon City Hall, located at 20750 River Drive in Dunnellon. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum flow for the Rainbow River System in Marion County. The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for priority water bodies within the District. A minimum flow or…