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Tampa Takes Steps To Increase Reclaimed Water Use

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 11, 2008

TAMPA - With the region's drought conditions worsening, Tampa is still using millions of gallons of drinking water to keep lawns, cemeteries and flower beds green.

A report from the city's parks and recreation department shows that since January, nearly 139 million gallons of potable water has been used on city owned parks and properties, compared with about 15 million gallons of reclaimed water.

That translates into a cost of $391,740 for potable water and $24,277 for reclaimed.

The uses include water for recreational facilities such as pools, public bathrooms and community centers, and irrigation for parks, medians and city-owned cemeteries.

But the city is taking steps to switch to reclaimed water.

For one, it seeks to expand the number of reclaimed water transmission lines and has installed automated controls on watering systems on most of the systems.

Parks such as downtown's Curtis Hixon and Kiley Garden will be hooked up to the reclaimed system.

"Any new sites that come online and have access to reclaimed water will be connected from the start," parks department director Karen Palus wrote in a memo to city council members.

On average, Floridians use more water on their lawns than they consume.

Although most cities and counties limit irrigation to one day a week, millions of gallons of drinking water are drawn from wellfields across the state every day – not just to quench the thirst of a growing population, but also to nourish lawns and irrigate crops.

Regionally, Tampa Bay Water managers have outlined an ambitious program to replace drinking water with reclaimed water within the district for lawn irrigation by 2025.

The regional water provider said a two-year drought and a drier-than-normal October have reduced flows in area rivers, increasing the need for conserving water supplies.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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