Floridians can always rely on sunshine, but rainfall is highly unpredictable.
This makes water resource management one of Florida's greatest challenges, but also one of its greatest rewards.
In the St. Johns River Water Management District, water conservation is the cornerstone to sustaining the 18-county region's water supply. The district works to promote conservation of water from all sources to achieve the greatest water savings.
Among the district's efforts to expand water conservation is the Florida Water Star new home certification program.
More than 60 homes save water through efficient household fixtures and appliances, landscaping and efficient irrigation.
Conservation is key to extending our water supply. When daylight saving time began on March 8, new restrictions specifying the days of the week for landscape irrigation became effective in the district. Irrigation is limited to two days a week during daylight saving time and to one day a week during Eastern Standard Time.
Protecting our existing water resources is just as important as exploring new alternative water supplies. But groundwater will not be able to meet all future needs within the district, so new water supplies are important.
Much work has been done to identify and evaluate alternative sources of water, such as seawater, brackish groundwater and surface water from rivers and lakes.
Without the support of Florida's residents, water resource protection is little more than a good idea.
Conservation is about small and simple everyday changes that can help protect our water resources when we're experiencing drought, and promoting habits that will save us money year round and help us be better prepared for the next drought occurrence.
You can lower your water bill and protect one of Florida's most cherished natural resources by taking actions as simple as turning off the faucets when brushing your teeth or shaving, running dishwashers and washing machines when you have a full load and turning off the timers on your sprinkler systems.
By practicing simple water-saving behaviors, you can help ensure an adequate and reliable supply of water for future generations.
For more drought information, go to these sites:
- www.dep.state.fl.us/drought/default.htm
Water conservation tips can be found: www.dep.state.fl.us/drought/tips.htm.
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