West Palm Beach, FL - South Florida's Hispanic community has a new online tool for learning about easy ways to save water and help protect our region's water resources. Developed as a companion to the South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) water conservation web site,
www.savewaterfl.com, the District launched a web site today that provides residents with a one-stop shop for information about water conservation-in Spanish.
To visit the site, go to
www.savewaterfl.com and click on the "En Español" button in the upper right-hand corner.
The web site features dozens of indoor and outdoor water-saving tips like:
Do not overwater your lawn. A good rain eliminates the need for watering for up to two weeks. Most of the year, lawns only need about one inch of water per week.
Position sprinklers so water lands on the lawn and shrubs, not on paved areas.
Take shorter showers. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version.
Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded, or set the water level for the size of load you are using.
Store drinking water in the refrigerator. Do not let the tap run while you are waiting for water to cool.
Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food in the refrigerator, or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
Do not let water run while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving.
Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
For easy access to an abundance of information, the web site offers seven sub-sections by user: residents, businesses, agriculture, utilities, government, teachers and news media. The site also features a water conservation
opinion survey to encourage public feedback on water conservation awareness, to gather information on individual water use habits and for suggestions on water-related issues.Water Restrictions and Long-Term Conservation Planning
The water conservation web site also provides details on the current water restrictions and long-term water conservation planning. E
mergency landscape watering restrictions remain in place throughout the South Florida Water Management District's 16-county region to help manage the water supply impacted by a multi-year rainfall deficit.
TheSFWMD
is also continuing rule development for proposed year-round landscape irrigation measures.
The District-wide, year-round rule for landscape irrigation water conservation is a component of the District's proposed
comprehensive water conservation program for South Florida. Stakeholders have been meeting monthly with the District since December 2007 to develop a lasting program that includes recommendations for regulatory programs, voluntary and incentive-based initiatives, and education and marketing.
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The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state - 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys.It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts.The agency mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply.A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades.