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Public’s help need to conserve water
By SUZETTE PORTER
| Article published on Monday, Jan. 12, 2009 |
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| Sallie and Alton Parks of Royal Stewart Arms are proud of their community’s new water conservation program. |
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PINELLAS COUNTY - Education and enforcement are the backbone of efforts to increase water conservation in Tampa Bay.
Officials are concerned about decreasing water supplies due to the continuing drought and problems at the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.
Unless the public increases water conservation or the region receives significant rainfall, which isn’t likely, the reservoir could be dry as early as March.
The newest water conservation campaign being promoted by Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pinellas County Utilities is called “Skip a Week.”
“According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn't need to be watered as often during the cooler months, so we’re asking people to skip a week if they can,” said Robin Felix, media relations manager for Southwest Florida Water Management District.
She advised people to turn off the automatic sprinklers and actually take a look at their lawns before watering. If lawns are not showing signs of stress, don’t water.
Signs of stress include grass blades folding in or a blue-gray appearance. Felix said one of the easiest ways to detect whether a lawn needs water is the step test.
“If you step on your lawn and a footprint remains, it needs water,” she said.
Dave Baker, manager of Utilities Conservation Department and Outreach, said overwatering of lawns has long been a problem. He pointed to a past educational campaign that asked “does your lawn have a drinking problem” used to try to get people to understand that overwatering of lawns is as bad as under-watering.
“The cooler months are a good time to train lawns to need less water," said Sylvia Durell, Florida-friendly landscaping project manager. “Using less water will encourage deeper grass and plant roots, which makes them more drought-tolerant."
Lawn irrigation is one of the biggest uses of drinking water, followed by showering and other bathroom activities, Baker said.
Pinellas County has good conservation practices and, despite three years of drought, water usage in the county has continued to go down, Baker said.
“Last year we had the lowest per person usage ever,” he said. “Since 1989, we’ve reduced water consumption by 40 percent and have the lowest rates in the country.”
He attributed the success to the expansion of the reclaimed water system, the low-flow toilet rebate program and continued education.
Baker said the current situation was a big concern, and the public could make a big difference in whether groundwater sources would need to be tapped in the spring.
He encouraged people to look for more ways to conserve both indoors and out. Skip a week of lawn watering when possible, reduce showers by a minute and don’t allow the water to run unless necessary.
Part of SWFWMD’s new measure to increase conservation included mandatory enforcement by counties and municipalities. Baker said due to the new rules citations were now being given to first time violators of the watering rules.
The fine is $188 in unincorporated areas of the county. He said fines varied with each municipality and the law allows for a maximum fine of $500.
Citations can be written for watering on the wrong day or the wrong time or any other violation of SWFWMD’s rules.
Baker said the number of citations written had gone up appreciably since the mandatory enforcement began in late October. He said 238 citations were written in November, resulting in 210 fines. In December 202 citations were written with fines. He said a 14 days grace period was allowed in November to allow notification of the new rules.
He said enforcement officers traveled 3,127 miles in November and 4,197 miles in December.
“We have two people on the road canvassing the area,” he said. “But it’s a lot of territory.”
Baker encouraged the public to assist by reporting violators. He said to report people breaking the rules, call 464-4000 and ask for the restriction violation hotline.
Water conservation doesn’t have to be painful, and it has many benefits, Felix said. She talked about the success of a program put into place by a homeowner’s association in Dunedin that implemented skip a week plus installed Florida-friendly landscaping.
She said Royal Stewart Arms, a 55-plus community, began it water conservation program in October of 2007. In the first year, the association saved 2.9 million gallons of water and $14,000.
“And they took advantage of a free service offered through Extension,” Felix said.
Felix encouraged other homeowner’s associations to call Doris Heitzmann, Florida Yards and Neighborhood Community Outreach, at 582-2422, for more information about the program.
More information about water conservation can be found at:
- www.pinellascounty.org/utilities
- pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/fyn/index.shtml
- www.swfwmd.state.fl.us
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Article published on Monday, Jan. 12, 2009
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