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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…

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…

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…

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…

Information on upcoming and recent public meetings on the District's Minimum Flows and Levels Program will be consolidated on this page.

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $113,138 in grants to 52 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…

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…

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…

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-…

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…

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…

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…

Hotels and motels in both Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa saved 35 million gallons of water during 2004 while participating in the Southwest Florida Water Management District water conservation program known as Water C.H.A.M.P. or Water Conservation Hotel and Motel Program.Based on City of Tampa and Hillsborough County potable water rates, that translates into more than $180,000 in savings per year to participating hoteliers.The Water C.H.A.M.P. is a “linens…