Florida Water Conservation: A Challenge to All

bluewebmg — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:35:58 +0000

By the year 2025, it is estimated that Floridians will use an additional 2.0 billion gallons of water per day. As Florida continues to grow, pressure is put on the water resources of the state and the need to ensure that these resources are available for future generations becomes increasingly important. Floridians have always enjoyed a quality of life that is unquestionably linked to the health of our water resources.

the amount of fresh water that we have currently on planet earth

Water suppliers are making good progress toward meeting projected 2025 demands, but it is not feasible to build enough infrastructure to meet all demands in periods of extreme drought. Developing alternative water sources is simply one element of a diverse, sustainable water supply system.

Perhaps the cheapest way to develop new water is through effective water conservation practices. Historically underutilized, conservation could meet a significant portion of projected 2030 demand if it were given greater emphasis. Water already in the distribution pipeline is usually cheaper than developing new sources. Many areas of the state could meet much of their short and mid-term water demand, and delay the capital costs of new water supply infrastructure, with the implementation of additional water use efficiencies.

The good news is that Florida has the mechanisms in place to develop solutions to these issues. We need to expand our efforts to protect and preserve our water resources using the tools that have been developed by innovative technology companies. A good example that many commercial properties should consider is a “Smart” timer or controller for their lawn or sprinkler system. While researching products online, one of the best modules is made by a company called Weathermatic. The SmartLink features a standard Flow Smart Module for flow learning, logging and problem reaction. SmartLink protection monitors high and low flow conditions with user-defined reactions, giving the commercial property owner the ability to see, in real time, the amount of excess water being wasted while monitoring the overall health of the landscape. And best of all, there’s an app for that! It’s completely monitored and control by your iPhone or tablet. In order to purchase a module like this you need to find a distributor. One of our favorites, due to the reliability and longevity of the merchant, is Professional Supply Co. They keep current with the latest trends in the irrigation market, and actually provide online tools like a turf fertilizer calculator. They can be found at www.professionalsupply.com.

The bottom line is this: EVERYONE needs to do their part in the conservation of our most precious natural resource. Remember, even if you had all the gold in the world, without water, we don’t exist.