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Residents have a new resource for water conservation.The District has launched the new Water 101 website where residents can get water conservation tips for both inside and outside their home.  Whether someone is new to the area or lived in Florida for decades, the site offers a variety of ways residents can save both water and money. The site is divided into easy… Read more

Anthony Andrade, senior water conservation analyst, is the national WateReuse Person of the Year. This is Anthony Andrade’s year. The District project manager and senior water conservation analyst has been named national “WateReuse Person of the Year” for 2006. The award was presented in September at the 2006 WateReuse Symposium, which was held jointly by the WateReuse Association, American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation. Each… Read more

Year-Round Water Conservation Measures in Effect Districtwide The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board is allowing once-per-week watering and other stringent water restrictions in the District's northern region to expire on Oct. 1, 2017. This region includes Citrus, Hernando, Sumter and portions of Lake, Levy and Marion counties. All 16-counties throughout the District's boundaries are now on year-round water… Read more

Year-Round Water Conservation Measures Return Elsewhere Due to lingering drought effects and water resources not recovering as quickly as other areas, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Governing Board voted today to maintain once-per-week lawn watering and other restrictions in the District's northern region, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Levy and portions of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. This order in Marion County would be limited to… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to modify its existing Phase I water shortage, expanding it to cover the District’s entire 16-county area beginning May 8.  Under Phase I, water utilities and their local governments are expected to review and revise water restriction enforcement procedures, begin monthly enforcement reporting and… Read more

Housekeeper proudly displays Water C.H.A.M.P. materials at the Holiday Inn Express. The District’s award-winning Water Conservation Hotel And Motel Program (Water C.H.A.M.P.) reached a major milestone in July when the Holiday Inn Express Hotel &Suites on North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa signed up as its 300th hotel. Water C.H.A.M.P. is the District’s linens and towels reuse program, which began in September 2002 as a pilot project in the Pinellas- Anclote… Read more

Due to lingering drought effects and water resources not recovering as quickly as other areas, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to maintain once-per-week lawn watering and other restrictions in the District’s northern region, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Levy and portions of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. This order in Marion County would be limited to the city of Dunnellon and the area encompassed by The Villages because… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year.The District will hold a virtual public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Members of the public can… Read more

Focusing on Florida's Future This September, water managers, state and local government officials, representatives from academia, the business community and other interested people will come to Tampa to attend Florida’s 28th Annual Conference on Water Management. The conference, which is being held September 3–5 at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel, will provide a forum for attendees to share information on emerging technologies, discuss policy and social issues,… Read more

Above: This culvert/riser, which is an example of the types of items available for cost-share through the Mini-FARMS program, is used for water control on an agricultural site in southern DeSoto County. Right: Weather stations are funded through FARMS and Mini-FARMS as a way to irrigate more precisely, based on weather conditions. A good example is using a weather station for frost-freeze protection. The farmer has exact data for that area of the farm and can turn on… Read more

May 7-15 is National Travel and Tourism WeekAre you planning a 'staycation' to avoid the cost of rising fuel prices? You can enjoy the area's natural beauty and still make a difference in preserving its natural resources, thanks to conservation programs developed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.National Travel and Tourism Week is May 7-15, and the District offers many ways to enjoy some time off close to home without sacrificing the environment.Saving… Read more

Citrus County Utilities earned this year’s bragging rights for having the tastiest tap water in West Central Florida. The utility won the annual Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest for Florida Section Region 4 of the American Water Works Association. The District’s Water Supply manager, Jason Mickel, was one of the judges for Region 4 which includes: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter counties. Twenty-two public water supply contestants… Read more

How much water does Polk County use? Where does the county get its supply? What resource alternatives are available? These are just some of the questions tackled at the Polk County Water School. The seven-week course educates the public on key water issues to encourage improved public policy decisions. “We deliver science-based information to help citizens of Polk County make informed decisions,” said Nicole Walker, the county extension director at the UF/IFAS Polk… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved a water use permit to increase Charlotte County’s water supply from the Burnt Store Wellfield to an average of 3.1 million gallons per day (gpd) of brackish ground water to meet its needs.The county was previously permitted 914,000 gpd. The increase in quantities is due to an increase in the projected population through 2012.This water use permit will allow construction of three new wells… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public workshop Thursday, Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss updates to the Lake Tarpon Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. The workshop will take place at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center Auditorium, located at 3940 Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs.In 1987 the Florida Legislature created the SWIM Act to protect, restore and maintain Florida's highly threatened… Read more

Did you know that outdoor water use can account for up to 50 percent of water consumed by households?While the "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org advocates "water conservation(Water conservation)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/ year-round, an extra effort is being made to promote conservation throughout April. Governments and water management districts throughout the state have… Read more

Lakeland restaurants can conserve water with the help of two programs offered by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Lakeland Water Utilities.The District’s Water Program for Restaurant Outreach (Water PRO) and Lakeland’s pre-rinse spray valve replacement program are designed to help restaurants conserve water through training and retrofitting.Water PROWater PRO is a free program that helps restaurants conserve water by educating staff… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday renewed a water use permit (WUP) for the City of Venice.The renewed permit maintains an annual average permitted quantity of 6,864,000 gallons of water per day (gpd).The sole source of water authorized for use by this permit is brackish ground water from the city’s two Intermediate aquifer wellfields.The permit requires the city to carefully manage water levels and water quality at each… Read more

 Roger Araya spent several weeks with the Resource Conservation and Data Department collecting water samples and learning about water quality. While many high school students spend their summer breaks doing anything but preparing for their futures, Roger Araya chose to plunge headfirst into the world of water resources. A recent graduate of Arenal Guanacaste High School in Costa Rica, Araya received some hands-on experience as a temporary addition to the… Read more

Did you know a family of four could save up to 30,000 gallons of water a year just by fixing leaks and replacing old plumbing fixtures with water conserving fixtures?This is just one of the water conservation tips offered by the Southwest Florida Water Management District this April, which has been designated as Water Conservation Month.The average resident living within our 16-county District uses 124 gallons of water each day and if you haven’t thought about… Read more