FLORIDA – While the month of April might be best known for “showers that bring May flowers” and tax filing deadlines, this April carries the significance of a milestone anniversary for a cause that mobilizes over a billion people annually to protect the planet. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and had its roots in a collaborative concern among citizens and government about environmental pollution. 

Water, quite literally, has the Earth covered. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), almost three-fourths (71%) of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. That might sound like plenty of water to go around, but most of it - 97.4% - is salt water from the oceans and other sources. Only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is fresh water, and only a small portion of that is surface water which serves most of life’s needs. 

With only a small fraction of the Earth’s water available to sustain human, plant and animal life, protecting this precious resource is a chief concern of the Florida Government Utility Authority (FGUA).

FGUA offers these tips for conserving water usage. Click HERE for more information. 

·      Check for leaks and fix them. Every place where a water supply pipe enters your home or connects to a faucet or fixture is an opportunity for a leak. Visually inspect faucets and shower heads for dripping. The fix might be as easy a replacing a rubber gasket or valve. A toilet tank that periodically refills without flushing is likely a sign of a worn out rubber flapper valve. Conducting a “toilet tank test” can identify the problem. If you don’t see or hear evidence of any leaks, check the leak indicator on your water meter to see if water is passing through the meter even when all sources are turned off.

·      Check for excessive water use and adjust accordingly. A water softener system can be a big water hog if it’s set to regenerate more frequently than necessary. If you are adding salt more frequently than usual, it may be a sign that the system is regenerating too frequently. Likewise, lawn irrigations that come on too frequently not only waste water, but can ruin your lawn. Don’t irrigate during the heat of the day when much of the water will evaporate before soaking into the ground. 

·      Consider changing your habits. How long you use water in your personal grooming can make a big difference in your water consumption and your wallet. Taking shorter showers, turning off the water while brushing your teeth and throwing away trash rather than flushing it down the toilet can make a positive impact. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers these tips for reducing water pollution. Click HERE for more information. 

·      Use nontoxic household products. Using nontoxic household products, such as cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, insecticides and pool chemicals, can make a huge impact on reducing pollution in your home and in our waterways. 

·      Properly dispose of hazardous household products. Resist the urge to just dump household chemicals down the drain or in the storm sewer, or to toss them in your regular garbage or recycle bin. Contact your local public works department for a schedule of upcoming hazardous waste collection days. 

·      Don’t flush old or unused prescription drugs. Unless specifically directed, don’t flush old or unused meds down the toilet or dump them down the drain. Wastewater treatment plants may not be able to remove all drugs from sewer system water and they could end up in our rivers and streams. 

The Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) owns and operates almost 100 water and wastewater utility systems in 14 Florida counties, providing service to more than 120,000 customer connections. Counties served by FGUA include Citrus, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange, Pasco, Polk, Seminole, Hardee, Lee, Alachua, Flagler, Putnam and Volusia.