Florida’s waterways are part of the state’s important ecosystem, and April is a month entirely dedicated to water conservation in the Sunshine State.
The South Florida Water Management District sent out a reminder this week making sure Floridians know how to best conserve the water in their home state.
"Even during the wet times, we should all keep in mind that South Florida's weather can quickly change from deluge to drought," said SFWMD Governing Board Vice Chairman Kevin Powers. "That's why it is so important for Florida families to maintain a water conservation ethic year round, and why saving water is an integral part of managing South Florida's water resources."
For the last 18 years, Florida has recognized Water Conservation Month in April.
Water issues are consistently hot topics in the Sunshine State, with Gov. Rick Scott recently singing a bill into law to preserve some of the state’s largest waterways.
The new "Legacy Florida" law would set aside $200 million a year for Everglades restoration funding. On top of that, the new law will set aside up to $50 million for Florida springs and up to $5 million a year for Lake Apopka.
Scott’s office called the proposal “an historic $880 million water quality plan” which was designed to protect the Everglades, a natural region of wetlands in South Florida. The Everglades is a large system with parts beginning near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, extending all the way down to the Miami-Dade region.
The South Florida Water Management District said some of its own water conservation plans are also helpful to Florida’s environment. The District’s Comprehensive Water Conservation Plan, which includes voluntary and incentive-based initiatives, has had some positive effects on the amount of water used in South Florida.
According to a press release, the amount of water used by the region's 8.1 million residents has fallen from near 180 gallons of water per person per day in 2000 to about 140 gallons in 2014.
SFWMD says it continues its work to conserve Florida’s waterways in many ways.
Through the Water Savings Incentive Program, the District invested $250,000 in nine local projects last year that saved an estimated 86 million gallons of water per year. According to a press release, this program has invested $5.1 million in 181 projects that save nearly 3 billion gallons of water per year.
The District also participates in education programs, some of which have reached nearly 3,000 students and 50,000 visitors to the District’s water conservation website.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
