Dog with garden hose

Reduce Your Water Use

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It is estimated that lawn and landscape irrigation accounts for more than half of all residential water use. This is the same water that we drink, feeds our wetlands, and fills our community ponds.

A recent study found that homeowners can reduce their water consumption by over 30% by simply readjusting the automatic irrigation system on a regular basis. The lesson here is don’t just set it and forget it. Pay close attention to the weather and rainfall patterns and frequently adjust your irrigation timers accordingly. Often, rainfall can provide all the water that your lawn and plants need. Also, carefully inspect and adjust your spray-heads on a regular basis, making sure that your sprinklers are not also watering the sidewalk, driveway, or street.

The type of plants and grasses that we use in our landscaping can be another reason for wasteful watering practices. By gradually expanding beds with low-maintenance, native plants, and reducing the size of our lawns, we can eventually save a tremendous amount of time, money, and water. The rule here is “right plant, right place.” Pick the plants that are the most appropriate for the specific conditions of your yard (sun or shade, moist or dry soil, etc.) and will require the least amount of water and fertilizer.

We also often apply much more water than our plants and grass really need to remain healthy. Over-watering can result in a shallow root system, making your lawn less drought-tolerant and more susceptible to weed growth, disease, fungus, and insects. Irrigate only when your lawn shows signs of stress from lack of water such as when the leaf blades begin to fold in half, the lawn turns a bluish-gray color, or footprints linger.

If you have an automatic irrigation system, consider installing a soil moisture sensor. These inexpensive devices can cut your sprinkler system water usage by more than half by continuously checking soil moisture levels and preventing your sprinklers from operating when watering is not needed.

Finally, consider installing a rain barrel to conserve water and prevent runoff that can wash fertilizers and chemicals down storm drains and into our canals and other waterways. By working together to use water more efficiently, we can save money, conserve our groundwater resources, and protect this precious resource.

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LWDD Water Conservation Tools

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South Florida is fortunate to receive over 50 inches of rainfall a year on average. Most of that amount is concentrated during the six-month rainy season (May-October). While much of the runoff from these rains is discharged to the ocean to avoid flooding, a significant amount soaks into the ground and recharges the freshwater aquifers that supply our drinking water wellfields, ponds, and wetlands.

For the large population to live safely in south Florida, a regional water management system is required that must balance the water supply and flood control needs for both urban and agricultural users. Without adequate drainage, human health and safety would be jeopardized and extensive property damage could occur. Similarly, if regional groundwater levels were not properly maintained, wellfields would be unable to deliver water to homes and businesses and the underground inland migration of saltwater from the ocean could permanently contaminate the drinking water supply. The Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) helps mitigate some of the water supply issues our region experiences.

LWDD’s large network of canals play a critical role in conservation by maintaining groundwater levels which in turn supports the water levels in lakes, ponds, and wetlands across the region. During dry periods, groundwater levels tend to slowly fall in response to low rainfall and high evaporation. When this occurs, water managers in the region look to large regional storage areas like the Water Conservation Areas in the Everglades or to Lake Okeechobee as a source of supplemental water. Water from these sources is released into the canal network to raise the level of the water in the canals. This water, in turn, seeps through the sandy soils to recharge groundwater and return the water table to its normal elevation, thus helping to protect wellfields.

A recent water conservation enhancement for LWDD is the installation of SCADA, an acronym for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. The SCADA system automates the operation of water control gates and pumps throughout the 200 square miles of LWDD’s service boundary. The system links 11 of LWDD’s most critical water control structures to wireless, hurricane hardened communication system that automates the remote operation of the gates and pumps. If water rises too fast, the gates will automatically open. Similarly, if levels are too low, water supply pumps will activate to restore normal water levels in canals. The SCADA system provides enhanced operation and management of drainage canals. Avoiding discharges to the ocean when possible and maintaining canals at appropriate elevations is an important water conservation role LWDD contributes to in Palm Beach County.

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Water Conservation Tips

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Photo of lawn

Prepare Your Lawn For Drought

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Although droughts are often thought of in terms of months or years, south Florida can experience drought conditions after only a few days without rainfall due to our sandy soil. The impact of drought conditions on lawns can be made more severe if water restrictions are implemented. But you can prepare your lawn for the dry season which is approximately October through May. Irrigation practices, mowing methods, fertilizer application, and pest control are the keys to preparing your lawn for drought.

Spots in the lawn that turn a brown/gray color, footprints that remain in the grass long after being made, and many leaf blades folded in half lengthwise, are some indications that the lawn needs water. Apply only enough water to wet the soil. One inch of water is enough for most Florida sandy soils. The next irrigation should be withheld until signs of wilt occur again. It may take up to six weeks to condition a lawn to survive several days or more without wilting between irrigation or rainfall. During this time the root system is developing and growing deeper into the soil.

Every time a lawn is mowed, there is stress on the grass metabolism which reduces root growth. Mowing frequency and the height of cut need to be carefully considered. Use the highest setting on the mower for drought conditioning. Never mow more than one-third the height of the lawn at any one time. Keep the mower blades sharp and properly balanced. A leaf blade cut by a sharp blade will heal over more quickly, losing less water, than a leaf blade shredded by dull mower blades.

All the drought conditioning accomplished by proper irrigation and mowing practices can be undone by excessive nitrogen fertilization. Shoot growth is enhanced, and root growth is reduced by excessive nitrogen. Conversely, Potassium fertilization can help lawns increase their tolerance to stress because it promotes increased root growth and thicker cell walls which improves drought tolerance.

Pest control on lawns should be done with a great deal of care because pesticides can add extra stress through phytotoxicity. Once a pest problem has been diagnosed, spot treatment is usually as effective as treating the whole lawn.

A drought prepared lawn can withstand more stress and will encourage the growth of a deep and extensive root system toughened through proper management practices.

Control Structure

Technology Enhances Flood Control

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South Florida’s tropical weather events can be intense and seriously threaten property and life. In response, the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) monitors canal elevations and makes necessary operational adjustments to its water control structures to provide flood control for the 200 square miles of land within its boundary.

Water control structures act like dams, allowing stormwater to be released or held back depending on weather conditions. The technology used to operate LWDD’s water control structures is called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). As the water rises in the canal and reaches a pre-determined elevation, SCADA will slowly open control structures releasing water for flood control. Similarly, as water elevations return to normal levels the control structure gates will close, holding back water for conservation and water supply demands.

This response to changes in the canal system happens automatically and can be monitored remotely by staff using mobile devices. However, in anticipation of severe weather, staff can override the automated SCADA system and make manual adjustments as needed. The remote monitoring and operating functions of SCADA eliminates the need for LWDD staff to venture out during dangerous weather conditions to operate control structures, as well as significantly reduces response time.

Another advantage to SCADA is the capture of operational data by the system which can be used to evaluate future water supply needs and historical flood control responses. This data can be shared with regional water management partners for enhanced flood control coordination and water conservation measures.

LWDD is proud to provide the residents and businesses within our boundary this advanced flood control technology.