News & Public Affairs

SWFWMD plans Get Outside event in Pasco County listen

11/04/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: swiftmud, recreation, Conservation, bike, hiking

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as SWFWMD, has produced a new Recreation Guide to more than fifty properties it owns.

As part of the promotion of that guide, this Saturday SWFWMD is hosting a “Get Outside” gathering at one of those properties. It’s at Pasco County’s Starkey Wilderness Pres...

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Tampa Bay Water faces potential fine listen

08/17/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: swiftmud, Tampa Bay Water, drought, reservoir

Last spring Tampa Bay Water exceeded its permit for pumping water out of the ground. The regional water wholesaler now faces the threat of a one million dollar fine from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD). But SWFWMD has not yet decided whether to issue sanctions.

In the spring, Tampa Bay Water needed to pump more groundwater because of the intense drought and lower-than-expected production from alterna...

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Swiftmud relaxes some restrictions, but not on watering listen

07/28/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: swiftmud

Tampa Bay residents will soon be able to wash their cars in their driveways and pressure-clean their own homes beginning this weekend.

Citizens in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties had been prevented from doing so ever since The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board, also known as SwiftMud, called for Phase 4, or critical restrictions because of the ongoing water shortage. But at today’s meeting in Polk County, they relaxed some of those restrictions.

How...

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Tampa City Council considers expanding reclaimed water program listen

05/28/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Tampa City Council, Swiftmud, water usage, reclaimed water

The Tampa City Council today gave approval for the Iorio administration to go forward on a plan to expand its reclaimed water system to residential and business customers at a cost of $341 million. But Council members did not want to address when the plan would become mandatory in South Tampa.

Mike Smith is a vice president with CDM, a consulting group that the city paid $135,000 to provide a report on how to expand the reclaimed water system. He said some plans, such as building a wastew...

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No mandate for reclaimed water in South Tampa listen

04/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Tampa City Council, Swiftmud, water usage, reclaimed water

Two weeks after Tampa’s ban on watering of lawns went into effect, the City Council today rejected new measures that would mandate residents use reclaimed water for irrigation, and place large financial penalties on excessive potable water users.

However, city officials said they are considering such sanctions that they will introduce at an upcoming workshop on water late next month.

Dave Moore from the Southwest Water Florida Management District (Swiftmud), addressed the Council as we...

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Tampa's ban on lawn sprinkling starts Friday listen

04/02/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Tampa City Council, water, drought, water restrictions, Swiftmud

Less than 24 hours before Tampa’s new radical water conservation law is to go into effect, two City Council members changed their minds on the matter, nearly thwarting it from becoming law. But the proposal to reverse their original ruling did not gain a majority, and the ban will begin as scheduled on Friday.

Two weeks ago, Council members, on a 5-1 vote, decided to ban all lawn sprinkling in the city to contend with the current drought conditions plaguing the city. That’s more restrict...

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Water Conservation during the drought

03/23/09 Jon Butts
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Tags: Water conservation, drought, Swiftmud

Our guests on today's program were Robyn Felix, with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (Swiftmud) and John Lambie, one of the founders of the Florida House and a home conservation consultant.

We discussed the water shortage in our area and steps that Swiftmud has and has not taken to help. We talked about conservation, cisterns and what we can do to help save water. The call-in listeners tended to blame the phosphate industry, agriculture, home-owner deed restrictions, globa...

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Citizens: Hillsborough should impose stricter water limits listen

03/18/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Water conservation, drought, Swiftmud

The ongoing water crisis in the Tampa Bay area continues to grow more serious.

With the Bill Young Reservoir dried up, and the desalination plant not operating at full capacity, the area is now relying heavily on ground water.

This morning during the public hearing portion of Hillsborough County Commission’s meeting, citizens demanded that the Board go further than what has been called for in terms of conservation by the Southwest Water Florida Management District (Swiftmud).

Tampa...

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Tampa water officials stress conservation during drought listen

03/05/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Swiftmud, water conservation, drought, watering restrictions

The drought in Florida is only getting worse, and today in Tampa, the city’s Water Department’s Director, Brad Baird, came before the City Council to discuss the situation.

Baird said the reservoir operated by the regional water utility, Tampa Bay Water, has less than a week’s supply contained in it right now.

With the rainy season still months away, conditions aren’t any better with other sources, such as the Hillsborough and Alafia rivers.

Last week, all eyes were on the meeti...

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Swiftmud increases water use restrictions listen

02/24/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Water conservation, Swiftmud

This afternoon in Brooksville the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (Swiftmud) increased some restrictions on water use in the Tampa Bay region. But even tougher watering restrictions were rejected because of concerns about how they would affect jobs.

Richard Owen, deputy executive director of Swiftmud, recommended that the water management district add some features to the current Phase III water use restrictions – which were put in place four months ago ...

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