District proclamation designates April as Water Conservation Month

Left to right: Governing Board members Doug Bournique, Gen. Douglas Burnett, J. Chris Peterson, Janet Price and Maryam Ghyabi-White (Vice Chair); District Executive Director Mike Register; District General Counsel Erin Preston; and Board member Ron Howse (Not pictured: Board members Rob Bradley, Ryan Atwood and Cole Oliver).

PALATKA, Fla., April 5, 2023 — Water conservation is at the core of the St. Johns River Water Management District’s mission of protecting and ensuring the sustainability of Florida’s water supplies. The District’s Governing Board recently approved a proclamation designating April 2023 as Water Conservation Month.

April has been formally recognized as Water Conservation Month in Florida for the past 23 years, as April is typically a dry month when water demands are higher due to springtime planting.

“Water Conservation Month is a time that we can focus our efforts on thinking of all the ways we can use water wisely. This year we want to bring attention to leaks and how we can save water by fixing them,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Water Conservation Coordinator Deirdre Irwin. “As the weather warms up and we await the end of our dry months, now is a great time to practice water conservation. Even the smallest changes can make a difference.”

As the Water Conservation Coordinator, Irwin spends a majority of her time educating homeowners, landscapers, utilities and local governments about how to reduce water use. While more than half of all residential water use is outdoors for lawn and landscape irrigation, it is important that homeowners don’t forget to check their indoor usage. Minor water leaks account for nearly 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The leaks in an average household can add up to 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. That’s the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.

Helping residents understand the value of saving water is just one focus of the District. Every day, District staff promote water conservation through water supply planning work, permitting, District cost-share programs, and communication and outreach programs.

For more tips on saving water, visit the District’s water conservation webpages at www.sjrwmd.com/waterconservation/savingwater or visit the Water Less campaign website at WaterLessFlorida.com. Follow the water conservation conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation #savewater.