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Do not dispose of these items in your sewer system: needles/syringes, latex gloves, grease, plastic bags, candy wrappers, cigarettes, synthetic fiber-based towels such as shop rags, or diapers. Putting these items in the wastewater system will cause costly blockages. When in doubt, throw it in the trash! Excerpted from Waterline News, Volusia County Utilities
Urban and domestic animal waste can negatively affect ground water.
Studies have shown that pets, waterfowl and other urban wildlife waste can cause significant water pollution problems. While you can’t control the ducks, you can help out. Flush the waste from Fido and Kitty down your toilet (and then trash the used kitty litter and doggie bag) instead of leaving it in the yard or trash can (a.k.a. landfill). H Crawford, CT Sea Grant Extension Program
Water Foundations Teachers’ Guide: The science of Florida’s water resources; lesson plans for teachers and students. Explore Florida’s most precious natural resource in the classroom through this innovative curriculum guide, complete with background information, classroom activities, objectives, and teacher observation suggestions. The FREE book includes diagrams, images and a full glossary of terms that make it easy to integrate smart water habits into any K-12 classroom!
Download the full curriculum (PDF).
Have a “Wet” Field Trip! Interactive Educational Tours for classes at all levels are available through the FGUA. Request information about having your group visit one of our state-of-the-art facilities.
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By Joan Bradshaw, Ph.D., University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service
While most of us enjoy Florida’s great outdoors, many residents do not realize how their activities, including maintaining an attractive yard or creating new roads and buildings, directly impacts every water body leading to the Gulf. All our collective actions must combine to maintain a healthy environment.
So what is a watershed? Quite simply, a watershed is an area of land that catches and drains rainwater into marshes, streams, rivers, lakes or the coast. It can also be described as land area from which rainwater drains or “sheds” to a particular water body. You’re sitting in a watershed right now! Homes, open fields, office buildings, farms, ranches, forests, small towns, big cities and more can make up watersheds.
While every inch of land belongs to a complex, physical network of watersheds, the natural high areas of land describe a watershed’s boundary. For instance, the Springs Coast Watershed consists of approximately 800 square miles of coastal land in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. The trademarks of this watershed are the many springs that discharge to form several rivers, the extensive coastal swamps and salt marshes, and the high pine woodlands and lakes. There are four major groups of springs in the Springs Coast Watershed: Crystal River Springs, Homosassa Springs, Chassahowitzka Springs and Weekiwachee Springs. Combined, these springs discharge about 900 million gallons of water per day. In the Springs Coast Watershed, the Floridian aquifer is close to the land surface, which means that the springs in this watershed are actually an exposed portion of the aquifer.
Why is your watershed important? What we do on the land impacts the quality and quantity of water and other natural resources. In the past, most water quality problems were traced to the most obvious cause, termed “point-source pollution.” Point-source pollution can clearly be traced to a specific location such as a pipe or disposal site. Much progress has been made in detecting and controlling these problems.
Water quality problems from “nonpoint-source” pollution are more difficult to isolate because they are typically transported in stormwater. At any given time, rainwater may have traveled across tarred roofs and asphalt parking lots, meandered through freshly fertilized gardens and pet walks, and traversed a construction site or two. Storm water runoff consists of whatever washes off streets, lawns, golf courses, and fields and can consist of fertilizers, pesticides, animal waste, detergents, trash, oil, grease, antifreeze, gasoline, and other toxic substances. Everyone can do their part towards enhancing the quality of waters in our area by implementing a few simple pollution prevention actions. We’ve given you a few ideas on the front page. Remember: the environment is everyone’s responsibility!
Everyone can do their part towards enhancing the quality of waters in our area by implementing a few simple pollution prevention actions.
• Redirect downspouts from rain gutter onto lawns or flowerbeds rather than the driveway. This will prevent water from draining directly into storm drains.
• Install a rain barrel to capture roof runoff and use it for irrigating your yard.
• Consider replacing impervious surfaces on sidewalks and driveways with mulch, turf block, pervious concrete or shell, or clean stone that permits rain to soak into the ground.
• Establish a vegetated buffer between your property and water bodies as a final filter for runoff, as well as means of preventing erosion and slowing heavy rain sheet flow.
• Never dispose of oils, pesticides, or other household chemicals onto driveways, roadways or in storm drains.
• Use fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides sparingly and only according to the label. Consider alternatives to using pesticides.
Most of the state’s drinking water comes from aquifers, which are pockets in the layers of rock beneath the earth’s surface. The Floridan aquifer—the largest and deepest aquifer—is primarily made up of limestone, dolomite and limestone-dolomite mixtures. The aquifer holds water like a sponge. The many holes in the rock allow water to move freely through it.
About 85% of the state’s population relies on the Floridan aquifer for drinking water. The Floridan aquifer stretches 100,000 square miles beneath Florida and parts of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Throughout central Florida, the aquifer system is about 100 to 200 feet below the surface and is found close to the surface in the west-coastal and north-central Florida areas. This means that the shallower parts of the aquifer are more susceptible to surface pollution and contamination. In general, water from the deep portions of the aquifer is considered better than that from the shallow parts, due mostly to this risk of contamination.
Springs are places where the aquifer’s waters escape their deep holding place, forcefully gushing clear liquid toward the earth’s surface. Springs coming from the aquifer system also feed rivers. In addition, the aquifer’s spring system is an integral part of the natural ecosystem across Florida.
The Floridan aquifer is one of Florida’s most important natural resources. What we do today may impact tomorrow’s drinking water! Southwest Florida Water Management District
Aquifers are the underground layers of porous rock that store water. Florida’s aquifers are depleted quickly during the dry season when homeowners use high amounts of water for irrigation and other water activities.
Permanent restrictions on outdoor water usages are in effect in most Florida counties. These restrictions apply to homes and businesses who use public water systems as well as those who have private wells, since all water sources are affected by drought. Failure to comply with the rules may result in fines. Watering restrictions are designed to protect our water source so Florida’s water stays plentiful.
Your local FGUA office offers brochures on easy ways to save water, including common sense solutions that are easy to live with. Ask for your free copy the next time you come by the office or stop by the FGUA display at a community event. For info on watering restrictions in your area, contact your local FGUA office.
Return to TopMost homes have many sources of hidden water contaminants. Many toxic ingredients in paint thinners and drain cleaners, for example, can contaminate water sources. Never dump hazardous products down drains, in the toilet, or near flowing water, ponds, or lakes, and do not dump them on the ground. You can reduce your use of hazardous household products by choosing safer, less-toxic products.
Use natural and less-toxic household products whenever possible. Here are some examples from the National Resources Conservation Service (www.nrcs.usda.gov).
FGUA Water Conservation Presentations: The FGUA Speaker’s Bureau has qualified individuals who can give your group or association important information about water conservation, what the FGUA is doing to make the most of your water resources, and other topics about water utilities. One-hour presentations generally include:
• PowerPoint presentation
• Educational handouts for participants
• System-specific Q&A session (customized to where you live)
• FGUA display with interactive educational components
• Water conservation “incentive” items for participants
Request information about the FGUA Water Conservation presentation.
What is the FGUA? Presentations: Host an FGUA staff member for your next group or HOA meeting and we’ll bring you an information-packed, 30-minute session about the FGUA—from inception to tomorrow. Each presentation typically includes:
• FGUA display with interactive educational components
• PowerPoint presentation
• FGUA informational brochures
• FGUA “incentive” items for participants
Request information about hosting a “What is the FGUA?” presentation.
FGUA Speaker’s Bureau: We have a roster full of staff and consultants who have years of experience in the water industry. They can bring an informed discussion about water conservation, the GUA concept, water and wastewater treatment innovations, or a variety of other topics. Our speakers include FGUA Board Members, FGUA managers, customer service representatives and staff.
Request information on having an FGUA speaker at your next event.
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