Tampa officials continue urging residents to conserve water: 'We need clean water'
TAMPA, Fla. - Daryl Gibson is stocked up with rain gauges, water sprinklers and a shower timer – all the tools in the City of Tampa's effort to turn down the tap.
"It's always good to save, to help out," he said. "Because in times like this, we need each other."
Gibson is one of the 400,000 city residents who use an average of 100 gallons per day. From flushes to dishes to grass, keeping Tampa going requires about 82 million gallons a day.
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But, city officials said that number has dropped by six million after once a week watering restrictions were put in place countywide last year. However, they want to drop it by even more.
"You've heard me say many times it's going to be the most important resource worldwide in very short order," said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
Given the drought-like conditions, City of Tampa officials are pushing the idea that every gallon saved matters. Just in 2023 alone, they had to buy water from Tampa Bay Water twice to make sure that they had enough supply.
"It's just sort of a passive, you're turning on your water," said Sarah Burns of the city's water department. "You don't think about the implications that that has. And then when you multiply it by everybody else in the city doing that, it turns into a really big number."
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In doing 160 evaluations of irrigation systems last year, the city believes they have saved more than 9,000 gallons per household, per month. Keeping grass green is often half of a home's water usage, and it's potentially the easiest cut for a homeowner to make.
"I feel like it's important, because everyone needs water," said Gibson. "We need clean water. Clean water needs to go around the city. Go around the county."
Even 30 billion gallons a year, the city's overall total, can go quickly if it's used carelessly.
For information on how you can request an irrigation checkup from the City of Tampa, click here.
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