Clearwater Florida Homeowners will you Skip a week to help?

Clearwater Florida – Today Swiftmud is asking all of us that own homes in Clearwater to all do our part to help conserve water in the Tampa Bay area. Luckily in Clearwater many of our neighborhoods including Clearwater Beach have reclaimed water however the rest of us need to try our best to do our part….

“In an effort to conserve water during the ongoing drought, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to “skip a week” during the cooler months of January and February.

According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often during the cooler months. In fact, three-quarters of an inch of water every 10-14 days is sufficient.

“The cooler months are a good time to train lawns to need less water,” said Sylvia Durell, Florida-friendly landscaping project manager. “Using less water will encourage deeper grass and plant roots, which makes them more drought-tolerant.”

Over-watering can also encourage disease and pests.

Clearwater Homeowners can determine when their grass needs water when:

Grass blades are folded in half on 30 percent of the lawn
Grass blades are blue-gray
A footprint remains on the lawn for several minutes after walking on it

The region is experiencing the effects of a three-year drought and October through May is Florida’s dry season.  All 16 counties within the District are under one-day-per-week lawn watering restrictions through Feb. 27, 2009.  In addition, tightened restrictions are currently in affect for all of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties through June 30, 2009.

Skipping a week of irrigation will help conserve drinking water supplies. Following this skip-a-week plan saves water that the public needs for other critical uses during the dry season.

For more water conservation tips, information about the drought and the current water restrictions, please visit the District’s web site at www.WaterMatters.org/drought.