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Water Conservation

Ways to Reduce Your Water Use


Xeriscape
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Showerhead Exchange Program
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A Community in Action

Public Utilities Video:

Water Conservation

New Mandatory Water Restrictions Take Effect
April 18, 2008

Modified Phase II Water Shortage

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) declared a District-wide water shortage, directly affecting more than five million South Florida residents and thousands of farms and businesses.

Effective April 18 2008 - Modified Phase II Water Restrictions are in effect throughout the entire South Florida Water Management District region - including the City of Hollywood.

The City of Hollywood is asking everyone to adhere to the guidelines for Modified Phase II Water Restrictions.

Violations will result in fines.

Modified Phase II Water Restrictions Guidelines

Addresses ending in odd numbers may irrigate lawns and landscapes on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Addresses ending in even numbers may irrigate lawns and landscapes on Thursdays and Sundays from 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Residents and businesses with more than five acres have expanded irrigation hours, between 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on their designated irrigation day.

Hand-watering with one hose fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle is allowed for 10 minutes per day for landscape stress relief and to prevent plant die-off. Low-volume irrigation, including the use of drip and microjet systems that apply water directly to plant root zones, is not restricted but should be voluntarily reduced.

No restrictions apply to other outside water uses, such as for car and boat washing, pressure cleaning of paved surfaces, decorative fountains and water-based recreation (e.g. swimming pools, water slides).

Modified Phase II Water Restrictions include private wells.

Detail information on Modified Phase II Water Restrictions

During South Florida Water Management District Water Restrictions, excessive water consumption is subject to a surcharge per City of Hollywood Code of Ordinances 51.127

City Code of Ordinances 51.217

South Florida Water Management District Conservation

Water Conservation Fact Sheet

The average person can go nearly 2 months without eating, less than one week without water could kill you.
A woman's body is 50-60% water, a man's body is 60-65% water. (Fat tissues contain virtually no water)
An adult's body contains about 40 quarts of water (10 gallons).
The human body loses between 2 and 3 quarts of water everyday from perspiration and normal elimination
In South Florida's humidity we each lose an additional quart of water from our bodies everyday.
One-half of 1% of the world's water is available for all humans to use.
97% of the water on earth is salty (Ocean water), 2% is locked (frozen) in the polar ice-caps, 1/2% is in the atmosphere.
Did you know that typically less than 1% of all water treated for drinking is actually consumed by people
99% of all water treated for drinking is used for things like showers, lawn sprinkling, to flush toilets, etc.

A full grown tree emits 70 gallons of water into the atmosphere every day.
A faucet that leaks one drop per second will waste 3,000 gallons of water in one year.

In the average year Hollywood treats over 6 BILLION
gallons of drinking water.

Why Do We Need to Conserve Water?... To Prevent Salt Water Intrusion

What is Salt Water Intrusion? There are 2 kinds of water, fresh water (the kind we drink) and salt water (the kind in the Ocean). Salt water is more dense than fresh water. You can remember that by thinking that Ocean water is fresh water with lots of particles of salt in it...therefore it is more dense than fresh water and naturally weighs more. We pump our water for drinking out of the Biscayne Aquifer. If we take out more water than can get put back in naturally (by rain, etc.) then the level of the aquifer drops. The Biscayne Aquifer extends east to the Ocean. Pressure keeps the Ocean water in the Ocean, and the fresh water in the Biscayne Aquifer. When the level of the Biscayne Aquifer drops, the pressure separating the water is also reduced. Because the salt water is more dense it begins to "spill-over" (or Intrude) into the Biscayne Aquifer. The salt water mixes with the fresh water and if the content of salt becomes too high we can no longer use the water for drinking. Salt water intrusion has "creeped" into the Biscayne Aquifer from the Ocean westward into Hollywood. Currently, the water in the Biscayne Aquifer west of 18th Avenue in Hollywood is still relatively free from salt water intrusion. Unfortunately, years of use from the Biscayne Aquifer without the understanding of the causes of salt water intrusion resulted in the water in the Biscayne Aquifer EAST of 15th Ave. to become too salty for even landscape irrigation. The more water you use, the more water we need to pump from the Aquifer. The more fresh water we pump out without giving the Aquifer a chance to recharge, the faster the level drops and the further west the salt water intrudes. Conserve water for a very good reason.

How much water
does it take to...

Flush a spider
down the toilet 3-5 gallons

Run the shower
for one minute 5-10 gallons

One load of
laundry 40 gallons

Run the
Dishwasher 12 gallons

Run a garden hose
for a few hours up to
600 gallons

The Source Of Hollywood's Water Is
The Biscayne Aquifer

What's Under Hollywood?
A. Ground Level

B. Limestone

C. Biscayne Aquifer
(10-200-feet below ground)

D. Marl (more limestone)

E. Floridan Aquifer
(900-feet below ground)