Hi there, I’m Dewey, the new mascot for the Conservancy’s water policy team! Look for me in future issues for the latest water facts, issues, and news. Southwest Florida depends on clean water for its economy, recreation, and wildlife. The Conservancy found our clean water economy provided a quality of life worth $25.5 billion! Learn more at conservancy.org/water-quality-economic-study.
During our rainy season, it seems as if we live in the wettest place in the world, so you would think we would use less water, right? Despite all the rain we get, especially in the wet season, we actually use more water per person locally than in other areas. In Collier County, for example, the average person uses 130 gallons of water per day, according to the county public utilities division. This is almost double compared to the national average of 82 gallons per day per person, according to the USEPA!
About half of this water is used to irrigate lawns, and the South Florida Water Management District estimates that more than 50% of irrigation water is lost to evaporation and run-off because of overwatering. If everyone in the Collier County Public Utilities service area reduced their water use by 10%, the county would save 3 million gallons of water per day and more than 1 billion gallons in a year!
Join Dewey in turning down those sprinklers and conserving water!