Tapping the last oasis: Florida-friendly landscaping and homeowners' associations.

• Author: Greene, Karen

"[W]ater has become imperiled, not through the deliberate actions of evil men, . . . but through the small doings of many--far too many--ordinary people, doing things the way they have always done them. That's where the real danger lies." (2)

In developing countries, 20 to 30 liters (approximately 5.5 to 8 gallons) per day, per capita is considered sufficient to meet basic human needs. (3) The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF estimate that a home with optimal water access will average 100 to 200 liters (approximately 26 to 52 gallons) per capita of water use per day. (4) Florida's per capita use in 2000 was 174 gallons of water per day. (5) The rate varies significantly throughout the state from a low of 103 gallons in Okeechobee County to a high of 274 gallons in Nassau County. (6)

Florida's Current Water Use and Projected Needs

Despite its nickname, it is water that defines the "Sunshine State." (7) The state is surrounded on three sides by ocean, receives an average of 54 inches of rain per year, (8) and is home to 700 springs. (9) In addition, 30 percent of Florida's land surface is wetlands. (10) When Florida became a state in 1845, "[I]t was an 'empty, often impenetrable and endless land' with 57,951 residents." (11) As of2003, Florida was home to more than 17 million people and was the fourth most populous state in the union, behind only California, Texas, and New York. (12) As of 2007, Florida's population is approximately 18,807,219. (13) For most of Florida's history, the state tried to get rid of water in order to pave the way for development. (14) Now, the greatest challenge is finding enough water for all the state's residents.

1) Florida's Current Water Use

--Americans use 410 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/d). (15) Oncethrough cooling at thermoelectric power plants uses approximately 49 percent (201 Bgal/d) of the water. (16) The largest consumptive water use is agricultural irrigation (128 Bgal/ d). (17) Public water supply (18) accounts for 44.2 Bgal/d of water use. (19) The remaining 33 Bgal/d is self-supplied water (that is, water obtained through a well that is not part of a public water supply system) used by industry, agriculture, and mining. (20) Combined, California, Texas, Idaho, and Florida use more than 25 percent of the total water used in the United States. (21) Floridians use 18,354 million gallons of water per day (Mgal/d). (22) The majority of the water withdrawn (63 percent or 11,486 Mgal/d) is cooling water to generate 60 percent of Florida's electric power. (23) The remaining 37 percent (or 6,868 Mgal/d) is freshwater withdraw als. (24)

Historically, Florida's agriculture consumed the majority of the freshwater used in the state. (25) However, as the state's population grew, agricultural land was transformed into residential subdivisions. (26) As a result, the proportion of water used by agriculture decreased while the proportion of water used by the public increased. (27) The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has estimated that sometime this year, public water supply use will exceed agricultural use. (28) When domestic self-supply (i.e., homes obtaining water through a well that is not a part of a public water supply system) is included, residential use and agricultural irrigation are already nearly the same. (29) Residential use accounts for 40 percent of Florida's freshwater use. (30)

While water use across the country has declined, water use in Florida has increased on both an absolute and per capita basis. (31) According to the Pacific Institute, "the nation withdrew less total freshwater in 2000 than it did in 1975, despite population growth." (32) In Florida, total freshwater withdrawals increased by 46 percent between 1970 and 2000. (33) Florida has experienced tremendous population growth in that time period, so an increase in total use is probably to be expected. However, per capita use in 1955 was a little less than 140 gallons per day, while per capita use in 2000 was 174 gallons per day. (34) Although assessing the reasons for this per capita increase may be complicated due to variations in data collection techniques over the years, (35) irrigation of lawns and golf courses appears to account for most of the increase. (36) Though this trend in water use in Florida may be changing (estimated per capita use in 2005 was 158 gallons per day (37)), if Florida continues to experience droughts like it did from 1999 to 2001 and 2006 to 2008, per capita use may increase as Floridians use more water during periods of drought than during periods of normal rainfall, primarily due to increased irrigation of lawns and crops. (38)

Florida receives 53 inches of rainfall per year. (39) Nearly all of Florida's residential use (90 percent) is groundwater, drawn from the Floridan aquifer. (40) The amount of rain and the aquifer recharge rate vary throughout the state. (41) Fifty-six percent of Florida's rain falls north of Orlando; 78 percent of Florida's population lives south of this so-called "hydrologic divide." (42) In some areas, more than 10 inches of rain per year return to the aquifer. (43) In other areas, known as "discharge areas," water flows out of the aquifer. (44) The greatest rates of discharge occur in the southern part of the state where the majority of Florida's population lives. (45) The underlying soil composition affects the rates of recharge and discharge, but so does property development, as rain cannot soak through pavement. (46) Fifty percent of Florida's total freshwater withdrawals are in the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), (47) which is south of the hydrologic divide and in an aquifer discharge area.

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