Lake Wales joins statewide effort aimed at conserving water
LAKE WALES, Fla. - A new program in Lake Wales is aimed at saving water and money.
The city joined a statewide effort called Florida Water Star, which requires developers to install low flow faucets, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers in new homes and commercial buildings.
It also requires them to reduce the amount of grass and use efficient watering techniques.
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The added cost for developers would be between $700 and $1,400.
Others cities are part of Florida Water Star as well, but Lake Wales is the first locally and one of the first in the state to up the ante even more.
"The builders in Lake Wales will have to get an outside party to inspect their home once it is built to make sure the appliances and the irrigation meet Florida Water Star criteria," Sara Irvine of the City of Lake Wales said.
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An average new home with two people living in it is projected to save about 48,000 gallons a year.
"Which by itself is not huge, but when you multiply that by a subdivision that's 400-500 homes, and start looking at the annual savings, it is impressive and significant," said Cindy Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
To sweeten the pot for developers, there is a rebate of up to $1,000 to put towards the cost of putting the low flow devices in.