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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s water conservation restroom trailer will make its Pasco County debut when it appears at the 3rd Annual Pasco County Extension Service Open House and Plant Sale. The event is being held October 23 at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City.This popular and practical water conservation restroom trailer has appeared at more than half a dozen community festivals within the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s water conservation restroom trailer will make its Pasco County debut when it appears at the 3rd Annual Pasco County Extension Service Open House and Plant Sale. The event is being held October 23 at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City.This popular and practical water conservation restroom trailer has appeared at more than half a dozen community festivals within the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River and… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating infestations of water lettuce on the Rainbow River in Marion County Jan. 14-17. The treatment area is from the Rio Vista area to the Withlacoochee River.Treatment involves the spot application of the aquatic herbicide Reward to scattered infestations. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable restrictions. Treated river water should not be used for drinking,… Read more

Did you know that a dripping faucet can waste up to 30 gallons of water per day and a leaky toilet can waste up to 100 gallons of water per day?Governments and water management districts throughout the state have declared April Water Conservation Month. While the Southwest Florida Water Management District staff advocates water conservation year-round, an extra effort is being made to promote conservation throughout April because it is typically marks the start of the peak… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River in Marion County Jan. 22-25. Water lettuce infestations will be treated from the Rainbow River State Park to the Withlacoochee River.Water lettuce will be spot treated with the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Water use restrictions in areas treated with Reward… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be treating water lettuce on the Rainbow River in Marion County Dec. 4-7. Water lettuce infestations will be treated from the headspring to the Withlacoochee River.Water lettuce will be spot treated with the aquatic herbicide Reward. Treatment areas will be posted with warning signs displaying treatment dates and applicable water use restrictions. Water use restrictions in areas treated with Reward include no livestock… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Crystal River recently signed an agreement for a project to improve water quality within Kings Bay.The project involves constructing a stormwater treatment system that will treat runoff from Kings Bay Plaza, a large commercial center. Untreated stormwater runoff from the center currently enters a canal that discharges directly into Kings Bay, which is a priority water body of the District’s Surface Water… Read more

An innovative project in Hillsborough County could lead to a water reuse revolution! The cooperatively funded effort between the District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board and Tampa Bay Fisheries won the 2005 WateReuse Award for facilities generating less than 1 million gallons of reuse water per day. Robert Paterson, president and CEO of Tampa Bay Fisheries (Fisheries), accepted the award during the annual WateReuse Symposium in September. The project is providing… Read more

The Explorations V Children’s Museum of Lakeland and the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Peace River Basin Board will celebrate the grand opening of a new exhibit that highlights the valuable resource of water.The grand opening of Water Matters! will be held Saturday, January 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. and Ripply, the District’s water mascot, will visit the museum from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.The… Read more

Governing Board Chair Neil Combee (second from right) joined former Governing Board chairs Joe Davis, Jim Allen, Mike Zagorac, Judy Whitehead, Tom Dabney, Heidi McCree and Jerry Rice on a discussion panel at the State of the Water Resources conference. The state of the District’s water resources was the focus of a one-day workshop that brought together decision-makers from across the region and the state. The November workshop provided attendees an update on… Read more

On Top of the World (OTOW), an active adult community in Ocala, plans for all future homes to achieve Florida Water Star℠ (FWS) certification over the next 20 years, saving residents millions of dollars and millions of gallons of water.   Nearly 5,000 FWS-certified homes will be constructed, using about 240 million gallons of water less per year than traditional construction. In addition, homeowners will spend approximately $530 less on utility bills annually for… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board Tuesday declared April “Water Conservation Month.”By proclaiming April to be Water Conservation Month, the District has joined 31 other local governments and Tampa Bay Water in an effort to call attention to the need for water conservation. Local governments participating include Charlotte, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties and the cities of New Port Richey, Tampa… Read more

Did you know that an older toilet model can use three gallons or more per flush, while a new low-flow model uses just 1.6 gallons per flush? Or, that an older showerhead can use as much as eight gallons per minute, while a new low-flow model uses just 2.5 gallons per minute?While the Southwest Florida Water Management District advocates water conservation year-round, an extra effort is being made to promote conservation throughout April. Governments and water management… Read more

Two cooperatively funded projects between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the WateReuse Foundation will help water managers gain a better understanding of different reclaimed water treatment methods.Soil Aquifer Treatment StudyThe goal of the soil aquifer treatment and membrane treatment study is to determine how effective the soils and the aquifer treat or remove undesirable compounds in reclaimed water. Soil aquifer treatment occurs… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Alton Cheatham of the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center for his outstanding water resources education project. A total of 29 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.Cheatham was recognized for the Charlotte Harbor/Lemon Bay Surface Water Improvement and Management Watershed Education Program. This project educated… Read more

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized the Hardee Jr. High Water Study as an outstanding water resources education program.This project taught students about the importance of the Peace River. The project focused on water quality and factors that affect it. The primary water quality studies were turbidity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate and nitrate levels and pH. Geographical and geologic topics were also discussed.The project was one of 52 projects… Read more

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, United States Geological Survey, the American Ground Water Trust and middle and high school teachers from Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee and Polk countiesWhat:The goal of this free, two-and-a-half-day workshop for teachers is to increase water awareness among teachers and students so that they are empowered to play an active role in protecting water resources.When:Thursday night through Saturday, June 19-21. Media… Read more

The WateReuse Association recently honored District Executive Director David Moore with the President’s Award for his outstanding leadership in the development and advocacy of reclaimed water. “I was very happy to accept this award on behalf of the District,” said Moore. “The award is truly the result of the hard work and dedication of many District employees in shepherding reuse projects that will protect our water resources and meet the water needs of west-central… Read more

The District is conducting exploratory well research more than a half mile below the surface. It’s happening at the Crooked Lake well site, located in southeastern Polk County. Central Florida has used the Upper Floridan aquifer as it’s predominant water source for decades. Now, with continued population growth, finding future water sources is more important than ever before.  George Schluttermann, a senior hydrogeologist with the District, said the data coming… Read more

During the dry season, many homeowners are tempted to over-water their lawns and gardens. The Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind homeowners that more water is not the answer to their landscaping dilemmas.“Proper irrigation will conserve water and maintain a beautiful Florida-friendly landscape,” said Lou Kavouras, District deputy executive director.Make sure your sprinklers are watering the lawn, not the driveway and street and… Read more