Search Content

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a water shortage emergency for the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority’s reservoir and two Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wellfields to help protect the drinking water supply for over 250,000 residents.Executive orderSWF 07-045 signed Monday by Richard Owen, deputy executive director of the District’s Division of Resource… Read more

Looking for a New Year’s Resolution you’ll keep in 2016? Resolve to conserve water in the new year with these easy ideas: 

1. Reduce daily showers by two minutes and save up to 240 gallons per month. 
2. Fix dripping faucets and save around 1,650 gallons per month.
3. Replace showerheads with low-flow models and save about 480 gallons per month.
4. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving, and save up to 225…

Read more

 Just like a great workout strengthens your body, your lawn can benefit from a little training to become healthier and more resilient. This winter, help your lawn build its “water muscles” by skipping a week between irrigation sessions. Cooler temperatures mean your grass naturally requires less water and this seasonal adjustment can save you time, money and resources.  Why Should You Train Your Lawn?When you reduce watering during the winter… Read more

We’re halfway through Water Conservation Month, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) encourages citizens to do their part to save water in and around their homes. While we shelter at home to stay safe, here’s more water saving tips to lower your monthly water bill and save hundreds of gallons of water:

• Ensure rain sensors are operating properly. Irrigating during or after significant rainfall is a major cause of outdoor…

Read more

David Moore, District executive director, and Kirby Green III, St. Johns River Water Management District executive director, discussed regional collaboration and water supply issues during the summit. More than 160 people representing local governments, utilities and various industries came together Friday, March 23, at the Hilton Ocala Hotel for the District’s first northern Water Conservation Summit. Held in partnership with the Suwannee River and St. Johns… Read more

Conservation Is Always In Season In west-central Florida, water conservation is always in season. That means some conservation measures are in effect year-round, whether it is the rainy season or the dry season. After nearly two years of public input, debate and review, revised year-round water conservation measures went into effect Sept. 15. The District began discussing possible updates to Rule 40D-22 (mandatory year-round conservation measures) in November… Read more

Explaining ASR Technology Too little or too much? With an average of 50-plus inches of rainfall per year, Florida is one of the wettest in the nation. It’s all about timing, however. Ironically, more than 60 percent of the annual precipitation falls between June and November — the very time human demand is at its lowest. In addition, the high evaporation rate that occurs during this time means that only a small portion of that rainfall soaks into the ground to help… Read more

Gifts aren’t the only ways to protect water resources this holiday season. Be water-wise when selecting holiday decorations. Here are some suggestions:  • Add some color to your holiday decorating with red salvia splendens. The plant requires little maintenance once placed in your garden after the holidays.  • Use items found around your yard and home to decorate. Palm fronds, magnolia leaves, pinecones and citrus fruit make great ingredients for… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recognizes May 13-19 as Water Reuse Week to focus the public on the benefits of expanding this important water resource. The District’s Governing Board signed a resolution proclaiming Water Reuse Week at its April… Read more

District scientists and planners recently completed an updated Regional Water Supply Plan to assess projected water demands and identify potential sources of water to meet those demands through the year 2025. The Regional Water Supply Plan was first developed in 2001 and is periodically revised based on updated information such as the demand for water. The plan, which was created for a ten-county area from Pasco County to Charlotte County, also identifies the… Read more

District Dedication Navigational Lock Operating Hours Daily Hours Oct. 15– Feb. 15 7 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Daily Hours Feb. 16–Oct. 14 7 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m. –8 p.m. “This structure is placed here to protect and enhance this riverine system. It is here through the persistence and tenacity of hundreds of citizens who cared enough to get involved. If we continue our work together, we can save this wonderful river for future generations.” So said… Read more

Reuse of Wastewater Is Vital to the Region’s Future Reduce, reuse and recycle — the three R’s of reducing waste — is a phrase that traditionally applies to the trash we throw away. But a District program takes the idea of reuse and applies it to one of our most precious resources: water. The program is called water reuse: extending our water supply by using highly treated wastewater for irrigation and other uses. Using this treated wastewater, called reclaimed… Read more

Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director David L. Moore this month declared a modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage that restricts lawn watering to one day per week throughout the 16-county District. The restrictions apply to the use of water from public and private water utilities, as well as the use of all wells and surface water sources (ponds, rivers, etc.). The order went into effect January 16 and will remain in place until July 31 unless… Read more

The Governing Board voted June 29 to let water shortage restrictions expire on June 30. The Governing Board voted to lift the restrictions in response to significant improvements in aquifer and river levels as a result of this winter’s above-average rainfall. Moreover, the region’s major public water suppliers have been able to capture and store large supplies of water to meet the needs of residents. However, the Board urged residents to continue the water conservation… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a water use permit that will allow Oldsmar to withdraw an average of 2.7 million gallons per day of brackish ground water to meet its needs.Under the previous permit, the City purchased water from St. Petersburg and Pinellas County Utilities to supply all of its potable water demand.This water permit allows Oldsmar to continue purchasing water until the treatment facility is permitted by the… Read more

Today is the last day of Water Conservation Month, and April is traditionally one of the driest of the year and peak demand season for public water suppliers. The District works with our local government partners to share the importance of water conservation and to increase efforts to conserve water. Thanks to all our partners who joined the District in proclaiming April as Water Conservation Month. The following local governments and partners have declared… Read more

The District’s Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.) is being noticed throughout the southeast for its success. Governing Board member Watson Haynes II and Melissa Roe, a District senior communications coordinator, will represent the District when they accept a Gulf Guardian Award in Corpus Christi, Texas. Water C.H.A.M.P. received second place among government programs that help protect the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Guardian Awards are… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday issued a water use permit (WUP) to Pasco County to supplement its reclaimed water system until its reclaimed water storage reservoirs are complete.The permit is for an annual average of 500,000 gallons of water per day (gpd) to be drawn from three new wells. Irrigation demands currently exceed the amount of available reclaimed water in Pasco County.The permit requires the county to follow two-day-per-… Read more

Water managers, state and local government officials, representatives from academia and the business community, and other interested people will attend Florida’s 30th Annual Conference on Water Management, which will be held September 7–9 at the Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers. The annual conference provides a forum for attendees to share information on emerging technologies, discuss policy and social issues, and address economic challenges in managing Florida’s… Read more

Water resources education is hitting the road. The Crystal Springs Foundation recently unveiled WaterVentures, Florida’s Learning Lab. The traveling lab is a science center housed in a customized 53-foot semi-trailer that will tour elementary schools throughout the state. The vehicle features hands-on activities about Florida’s water and how to protect it. The exhibits touch on topics like aquifers and the natural filtration of spring water. The traveling lab is… Read more