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The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board approved an agreement Tuesday with the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (PR/MRWSA) to study the feasibility of three potential alternative water supplies, which include the Dona Bay, Flatford Swamp/Upper Myakka River and Shell Creek systems.The PR/MRWSA serves Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties as well as the City of North Port, and is responsible for developing new water supply…

Tampa Bay Water Permit Renewed for Additional 10 Years The Governing Board has renewed Tampa Bay Water’s 90-million-gallon-per-day northern Tampa Bay consolidated water use permit for 10 years while requiring the water supplier to continue extensive environmental monitoring. The consolidated permit renewal includes extensive environmental controls, monitoring and reporting. Some of the key components of the permit include:

• Requirements for when the…

 A stormwater treatment pond and diversion structure built adjacent to Lake Mariana will help improve water quality in the Polk County lake. The water quality at Lake Mariana and the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes will begin to improve, thanks to a stormwater improvement project cooperatively funded by the District and Polk County. Lake Mariana is a 500-acre lake located within the headwaters of the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, which is a District Surface…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority are working together on a project that will connect Sarasota County’s Carlton Water Treatment Facility to an existing water line to the north.This project is one component of the Regional Integrated Loop, which transmits alternative water supplies such as surface water and brackish ground water across four counties. This pipeline will allow the Authority to…

The District is observing Water Reuse Week as it’s essential to ensuring safe, clean and sustainable water resources. Gov. Rick Scott proclaimed Florida Water Reuse Week May 19-25 to highlight the importance of it to the sustainability of Florida’s water supply and ecosystem. The state began celebrating the week in 2007 after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Reuse Program as a national leader.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s new public awareness campaign will encourage residents who irrigate their lawns to “skip a week” during the cooler months.According to research by the University of Florida, as temperatures grow cooler, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often. The “skip a week” campaign will use radio and print advertisements to encourage reduce outdoor irrigation.The ads highlight the following tips…

"H. Paul Senft Jr.(H. Paul Senft Jr.)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/profiles/paul_senft.html was elected unanimously today by his peers to serve as "Governing Board(Governing Board)":/about/governingboard chair of the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/.Other Governing Board officers selected today include "Hugh M. Gramling(Hugh M. Gramling)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/…

Some public water suppliers in the northern portion of the Southwest Florida Water Management District will need to increase their conservation efforts to meet new water use efficiency standards approved by the Governing Board last week.The Board voted to require all water utilities in the District to use 150 gallons or less per person per day. Previously, the District had only required water utilities in designated Water Use Caution Areas (WUCAs) to meet or be under the 150…

You can save water, time and money by taking steps now to make your yard Florida-friendly. A properly maintained Florida-friendly yard can help homeowners conserve water and reduce pollution of water resources. A Florida-friendly yard can be beautiful and an asset to the environment, conserving water, protecting natural resources and preserving Florida’s unique beauty. January The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension…

Sharing Science With Students Members of the District’s Peace River Basin Board and the District’s mascot, Ripply, helped celebrate the grand opening of a new exhibit at the Explorations V Children’s Museum in Lakeland. The Water Matters! exhibit is a hands-on display that illustrates the water cycle and explains the importance of protecting natural water resources. The exhibit encompasses a 10- by 14-foot area of the museum and includes an activated water cycle, a…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and City of Tarpon Springs are working together on an alternative water supply project that will reduce demand on the Tampa Bay Water regional system by providing up to 5 million gallons of water per day (mgd) by treating brackish groundwater.The District and city signed an agreement for the project that includes the design, permitting and construction of a brackish water wellfield and treatment facilities.The city currently…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River during the week of April 2-5.District workers will treat scattered infestations on the river from upstream of KP Hole Park to the Withlacoochee River.Workers will apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K and post warning signs in the treatment areas noting treatment dates and water use restrictions. Treated river water should not be used for…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating hydrilla on the Rainbow River from the Withlacoochee River to upstream of the Rainbow Springs State Park Campground during the week of November 2-6.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Aquathol Super K to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Treated river water should not be used…

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Emergency watering restrictions may be extended past July 31 deadlineA continuing rainfall deficit reaffirms the need to maintain emergency watering restrictions, resolved the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board this week.At its next meeting on July 31 the Board will consider extending the one-day watering restrictions which are due to expire that day.Rainfall for the last 12 months remains down more than 12 inches from normal, while June…

A reclaimed water project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Dade City is expected to offset about 300,000 gallons of potable water per day.This project will provide approximately 500,000 gallons per day (gpd) of reclaimed water to the Little Everglades Ranch for irrigating the race track area and sod farm as part of a 20-year service agreement between the city and the ranch.The project includes the design and construction of approximately 15,000…

table(webalert). |Who:|"Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org staff and approximately 100 children.||*What:*|The District's 14th Annual "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day." Students between the ages of nine and 18 will spend the day at the "District headquarters(Google map)":http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=2379+Broad+Street,+Brooksville,+FL+34604 and service offices learning about…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, Polk County Utilities, and the cities of Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City, Auburndale and Polk City are offering city water customers a free landscape and irrigation system evaluation.The free Landscape and Irrigation Evaluation program provides evaluations for customers so they can learn how to make their landscaping and irrigation systems more efficient.Water customers who irrigate with reclaimed or drinking water, and…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Dunnellon recently signed an agreement for a project to improve water quality within the Dunnellon watershed.The watershed includes approximately five miles within the City of Dunnellon.The city’s stormwater runoff currently flows to Route 40 and Cedar Street. The untreated runoff flows through a stormwater collection system that discharges directly into the Withlacoochee River. This project designs and…