Bay Area residents recognized for water-efficient landscaping amid historic drought

Promoting water-wise landscapes amid drought

Amid a severe drought, officials promote ways save water while keeping your yard green. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - April is Water Conservation Month, and the driest month of the year, and this year, it comes during one of the most significant droughts in the last 50 years.

The backstory:

On Monday, Tampa Bay Water recognized residents David Kulp and Michele Burt with the annual Community Water Wise Award. The couple’s landscape features 88 different plant species and roughly 300 plants total, managed entirely through water-efficient methods.

What they're saying:

"The Community Water Wise Award is a regional program that recognizes homeowners and businesses for their landscapes that save water while remaining attractive and functional," Amelia Brown, demand management program manager at Tampa Bay Water, said.

Kulp and Burt utilize a micro-irrigation system, and they collect runoff in three 60-gallon rain barrels to supplement their needs in their Pinellas County yard.

"We've learned that with the micro-irrigation, you don't lose any water from evaporation and also the mulch protects it from the heat and the plants learn to go deeper, so they can sustain themselves in drought-like conditions," Kulp said.

"Every day we see something new in our yard," Burt said. "We have birds bringing new plants to us and little surprises."

Dig deeper:

The push for water conservation comes as the Southwest Florida Water Management District recently tightened restrictions across the region. Residents are now limited to watering lawns just once per week. That day depends on your house number.

For properties smaller than one acre, irrigation must occur either before 4 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on designated days. Larger properties of one acre or more are permitted to water during both irrigation windows. Officials warned that local municipalities may enforce even stricter rules, and violators could face significant fines.

Big picture view:

While some areas have seen some rain recently, Brown cautioned that the drought is far from over.

Courtesy: Tampa Bay Water

"A little bit of rain is not going to get us out of this drought," Brown said.

What you can do:

Brown encouraged residents to adopt simple indoor habits as well, such as turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or washing dishes.

To assist with the transition to more efficient systems, the Tampa Bay Water Wise program offers rebates for homeowners who make approved efficiency improvements to their properties.

"The way it works is when you buy a new toilet and install it, you can get a rebate of $100 to $200. Now that can essentially pay for a new toilet. The program also has rebates for sprinkler system efficiency improvements in both the residential and the business side. And basically, if there's a way to save water, and you're a water customer of Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Tampa, St. Petersburg or New Port Richey, we have rebates available to help pay for water conserving measures in your home, in your business, indoors and outdoors. And now is a great time to do that given the severe drought that we're facing," Brown said.

The drought has created concerns beyond the water supply. April through June marks the peak season for wildfires in Florida, and the prolonged dry spell has significantly heightened fire risks across the state.

What's next:

Officials hope the return of the rainy season in June will provide the necessary relief to return levels to normal.