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The public is invited to an open house Thursday, June 28 for a plan to address the current and long-term water supply needs in the central Florida region.A regional water supply plan is being developed by the Central Florida Water Initiative, a collaboration of agencies to address water issues in southern Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Seminole counties. The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.watermatters.org is part of the initiative, which is focused…

The District’s executive director recently declared an emergency order to increase water restrictions including limiting lawn watering to once per week in the Tampa Bay area due to continued drought conditions. Executive Director Blake Guillory declared a Modified Phase II emergency water shortage order for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Under the emergency order, the allowable lawn and landscape watering schedule is reduced to once per week on a specified…

A reclaimed water project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Winter Haven will expand reclaimed water service in the northern service area, offsetting about 454,000 gallons of potable water per day.The project will connect several developments, including Hampton Cove, Lakes at Lucerne Park, Sunset Hills, Royal Hills, and Lake Henry Isles, to the reclaimed water system. As a result, reclaimed water will be available to approximately 2,…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently signed an agreement with Polk County Utilities for a project to create 10 million gallons of storage capacity at the county’s Northeast Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility. The expanded storage capacity will increase the reliability of the reclaimed water system to meet customers’ needs. Using reclaimed water reduces the need to use potable water for irrigation.The Polk County Utilities Northeast…

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…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday renewed and increased a water use permit for the City of Punta Gorda to meet the projected population growth through 2027.The previous annual average permitted quantity was 5,358,000 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 8,088,000 gpd. However, the additional quantities will come from surface water, not groundwater. The surface water comes from the Shell Creek reservoir, located…

Due to below normal rainfall, reduced river levels and increasing water supply concerns, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's "Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/ voted today to increase "water restrictions":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/TBphase3.php in the Tampa Bay area. Even though December rainfall was near normal for our region, rainfall in January and February was 3.5 inches below normal.The…

A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Bay Laurel Center Community Development District will bring reclaimed water to residents who live in the Marion County communities of Candler Hills and On Top of the World.The project includes the design, permitting and construction of a reclaimed water storage and transmission system, which will involve constructing a 2.5 million gallon ground storage tank, 3,500 linear feet of reclaimed water…

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…

Visitors to this year’s Florida State Fair will have the opportunity to learn about the drought and water conservation when they visit the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s information booth and water-conserving restroom trailer.The District will promote water conservation and Florida-friendly landscaping at the fair, which is being held Feb. 7-18 in Tampa.“Because the area is experiencing a severe drought, water conservation is even more…

Information on how residents can conserve water during the drought will be a focal point at this year’s Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival being held Jan. 19-20 at Al Lopez Park in Tampa.The Southwest Florida Water Management District will promote water conservation and Florida-friendly landscaping with its water-conserving restroom at the annual event.“Because the area is experiencing a severe drought, water conservation is even more crucial,” said Melissa…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently recognized six Polk County projects as outstanding school, community grant or volunteer programs that focus on water resources education. A total of 52 projects were recognized during the October 7 Reflect, Connect, Celebrate Water Resources Education Conference at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs.To select the awardees, District staff reviewed grants applied for by teachers…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is unveiling a new tool to help residents determine how much water they can conserve at home.The new tool is an online water conservation calculator that allows residents to estimate how much water they use, and provides tips on how they can reduce that amount.Participants will then have the opportunity to pledge to conserve at least 10 percent of their daily use. Visit the District’s web site at…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is unveiling a new online tool to help students and teachers determine how much water they can conserve at home and pledge to make a difference.The District’s Youth Education Section launched the new web-based water conservation challenge for schools in anticipation of water conservation month, which begins in April. Each year the state, water management districts, and local governments recognize April as water…

The City of Clearwater recently celebrated the grand opening of its second reverse-osmosis water treatment plant.  District staff joined the celebration of the plant that treats brackish water using state-of-the-art technology to produce more than 5 million gallons per day of potable water. Reverse osmosis is a process that purifies water by removing dissolved particles, minerals and ions.  This $34 million project includes three major components: the…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for the City of Wauchula, which is located in Hardee County.The modified permit increases the permitted quantities. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 1,110,000 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 1,236,500 gpd, which is an increase of 126,500 gpd.The increase in quantity is based on an estimated increase in…

Asks the public to help our water resources recoverThe Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted unanimously today to extend the current Water Shortage Order, which restricts lawn watering throughout the District to one-day-per-week, through Sept. 30.The Governing Board chose to extend the term of the water shortage order because impacts from the two-year drought continue despite the start of the annual rainy season. In…

Susan Douglas, Florida Water StarSM program coordinator, presents employee Fred Hartless with his Florida Water StarSM certificate. Hartless is the first District employee to earn the certification. For every drop of water conserved, Fred Hartless knows more money will stay in his wallet. That’s why Hartless made sure his new Wesley Chapel home was water efficient. He recently made it official by becoming the first District employee to get his home…

Portions of Citrus County received more than 10 inches of rain in the last four days, including more than six inches Monday night. This prompted District staff to raise the gates of the Inglis Main Dam to increase flows out of Lake Rousseau. Citrus County has nearly reached its historical average rainfall of 30.8 inches for the entire wet season (June through September) having received an average of 30 inches of rain the past two months. District staff have been…

Information on how residents can conserve water during the drought will be a focal point at this year’s Marion County Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival being held March 8 – 9 at the Marion County Extension Service Office in Ocala. The office is located at 2232 N.E. Jacksonville Rd.The restroom trailer features the District’s new “Reduce Your Use” water conservation campaign and Florida-friendly landscaping tips through displays and free…