September 2023

The question of water shortages is one which can seem fairly abstract for as long as you can still turn on a fawcet and see water coming out. The situation currently facing the  Tampa Water Department, however, is one which underlines just how serious the issue can become. In September, for the second time this year, the department had to buy water in from another agency in order to maintain supplies for people in the area. Although the purchases started in September, they are planned to continue for at least 4 months, and the same action had to be taken between April and June of this year. The move has been made necessary by a lack of rainfall and the limit the department is allowed to withdraw from the Hillsborough River Reservoir. 

Here at Hoover we’re all too aware of the impact which fertilizer runoff can have on the quality of water we rely on (discussed here in our blog on irrigation lake health) for irrigation or even domestic use. That’s why we were pleased to see the story about farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area in western Palm Beach County who managed to cut the harmful nutrients contained in field runoff entering the Everglades by 63%, which is more double the amount required by law. The law in question – the Florida Everglades Forever Act – was introduced in 1994 when runoff packed with harmful nutrient, such as phosphorus, was actually changing the ecology of the Everglades.

The more people that become involved in promoting water conservation efforts the better, as it helps the message get through to parts of the population that official statements and federal rules often fail to do. That’s why it was such good news that the Jacksonville Jaguars have teamed up with the St. Johns River Water Management District in order to promote water conservation and protect the St. Johns River. The aim of the plan is to reach out directly to sports fans with a positive message about conserving and protecting natural resources, using the popularity of the Jags and football in general to share information, advice and encouragement.

Elsewhere in this month’s H2O Zone we mentioned the fact that Tampa Water Department had to buy-in more water to maintain the supply to local residents. Clearly, water conservation is vital in a place like Tampa, particularly since buying in water is likely to lead to higher bills for residents, and that’s why the city is launching a series of free water conservation webinars. The topics to be covered, moving into October and November, include ‘Grow your garden rain or shine!’ (a topic close to our hearts) and ‘Don’t get sticker shock when you open your water bill!’, and the webinars are designed to help long term residents and new homeowners alike.

A lot of the time, it’s easy to become despondent when looking at stories related to the environment and Florida, as those deemed newsworthy tend to revolve around things like hurricanes, uncontrollable algae blooms and water shortages. Here at Hoover, however, we’re always keen to accentuate the positive in our coverage of Florida, and that’s why we were delighted to discover the Forbes Home report which named Florida as the 5th most sustainable state in the United States. The sustainability index report looked at factors such as water use, energy use and solar friendliness and ranked Florida 15th for lowest water use and 7th for lowest energy use and solar friendliness figures which combine to mean that only four states are acting in a more sustainable manner than Florida.

Perhaps a clue to the positive strides being taken by Florida in the sphere of sustainability can be found in the next story from the month. This looks at the kind of initiative which is helping to embed an understanding of the importance of a sustainable future in the next generation. It takes the form of a University of Miami competition, open to all graduates and undergraduates, in which students are tasked with working with students from Florida International University, Miami Dade College, and Lynn University to work with local businesses. It is the first time this international competition – designed to advance the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) -  has been held anywhere in the United States.

The official marine mammal of the state of Florida is the loveable manatee, and naturally there's a constant stream of stories about these creatures because of this. However in recent years changes in the environment have led to a spike in deaths among the manatee population which makes this a story worth following. The problems have been caused by a huge loss of seagrass in Florida’s estuaries, leading to manatees starving to death. The worst year on record was 2021, when 1,100 manatees died, but the good news is that things are now moving in the right direction, thanks in part to a lettuce feeding program. Last year, for example, 800 manatees died and this year so far the number of 442 is 35% lower than at the same time 12 months ago.

Most of the more positive news stories we feature in the H2O Zone tend to revolve around one thing more than anything else – positive steps taken by concerned individuals determined to improve their quality of life and the wider environment. This story is a prime example of that phenomenon, looking at International Coastal Cleanup Day. This is an annual event, now in its 38th year, and in South Florida it saw more than 3,000 volunteers heading to 60 sites to clear up rubbish being washed up on the beach, most of it taking the form of single use plastic items. Perhaps even better news is that efforts of this kind are being made by concerned Florida residents – on beaches and in parks – every week of the year.