City of Tampa urging residents to conserve water after buying water twice this year
TAMPA, Fla. - After purchasing water for the second time this year to meet demand, the city of Tampa hosted its first of three virtual workshops Thursday to give residents tips on how to conserve water.
New numbers show Tampa residents are now using an average of four million gallons of water more per day than they were this time last year, according to the city. The city has never had to buy water twice in one year.
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According to Thursday’s presentation, which was led by Julia Palaschak, an environmental specialist with the city of Tampa, a Florida irrigation system uses at least 991 gallons each time the average yard is watered.
"That’s the equivalent of flushing your WaterSense toilet over 700 times," Palaschak said.
As a result of the city having to buy water this spring, officials said residents will notice an extra charge on their bills now. The charge for the city’s second water purchase to meet demand should show up on bills next year.
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Now, the city is asking residents to use their water wisely.
According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), mowing your grass high can encourage deeper rooting, which can help your grass survive dry periods. The suggested heights for various grass types are listed here.
"Use the water coming off of the roof to saturate those soils around your yard," Palaschak said during Thursday’s discussion on stormwater runoff. "So instead of directing it on to the driveway, direct it back into your landscape."
But residents admit: Trying to keep your yard alive while also watching your water use is no easy task. Some Tampa residents reached out to FOX 13 after noticing the sprinklers on Bayshore Boulevard were on and running while it rained Wednesday.
"The fact that we're purchasing [water] for a second time, and then we're seeing waste, it kind of goes hand in hand with the frustration," resident Michael Clarke said. "If we're asking citizens to make changes to their lives daily when it comes to spending or how they behave, the city should be doing the same."
The city told FOX 13 that certain parts of Bayshore Boulevard are irrigated with reclaimed water and that "it may take a while before enough rain has collected in the rain sensor so that it knows to shut off irrigation in that part of the system."
"We also need to irrigate heavier than usual lately because the storm left a lot of salt in the soil. That salt needs to be flushed out before replanting," a city spokesperson added.
"Without someone asking those additional questions, the perception flat off is: It's raining heavily, and we're using water to water the grass," Clarke said.
FOX 13 asked officials what specific steps the city itself is taking to conserve water, and as of Thursday afternoon, we are still waiting to hear back.