News & Public Affairs
Tampa won't lift ban on lawn sprinkling listen
05/21/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Tampa City Council, water, drought, water restrictions
Despite the recent rains and increased pressure from landscapers negatively affected by water restrictions, the Tampa City Council today voted to continue the ban on lawn sprinkling in the city.
Six weeks ago, the Council voted for the measures, the toughest water restrictions in the state. Then wo weeks ago, City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern proposed a motion to revisit the issue. But before the debate even began, Mulhern pre-emptively said she would continue to support the ban.
Council...
Be the first to commentTampa City Council almost overturns lawn sprinkling ban listen
05/07/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Drought, water, water shortage, Tampa
Despite a lack of rain and continuing drought-like conditions in Tampa, the City Council today nearly overturned its prohibition on lawn irrigation. That bid failed, but the Council did vote to have the city’s Water Department study the issue and come back in two weeks, where they will vote again on possibly changing the ban.
New rules implemented a month ago ban lawn sprinkling in the city, the toughest restrictions in the bay area, if not the entire state.
But today, City Councilw...
Be the first to commentWho are the biggest water users In West Central Florida?
05/05/09 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Tuesday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: water, conservation, phosphate, agricultural, cement plants
Good afternoon,
Welcome to Radioactivity… I’m Rob Lorei… Coming up, we’ll talk with a Tampa Tribune reporter who’s written about the biggest water users in southwest Florida. They are not homeowners—but some of the biggest industries in Florida.
But first. some listener comments about last Thursday’s show on which we talked about the ties between factory farming and the outbreak of swine flu.
Recently local news reports have told about individual wealthy homeowners who use more th...
Be the first to commentDrought Summit held in Tampa listen
05/05/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Drought, water, water shortage
When the Southwest Florida Water Management District (Swiftmud) adopted modified Phase III water restrictions in December, it required Tampa Bay Water to hold a drought summit “to explore additional conservation options.” The Regional Water Shortage Management Workshop was held this morning at the Tampa Convention Center.
Tampa Bay Water is the region’s wholesale distributor to water utilities in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties. It brought toget...
Be the first to commentTampa's ban on lawn sprinkling starts Friday listen
04/02/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
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...
Be the first to commentSWFWMD enacts slightly stricter water restrictions but still allows lawn watering listen
03/31/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: water
In Brooksville this morning, the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or SWFWMD, enacted slightly tougher water restrictions. But during this severe drought, these “modified Phase IV” restrictions don’t go as far as the recently agreed upon City of Tampa restrictions because they still allowing drinking water to be used to water lawns.
In February, Tampa Bay Water – the wholesale water dis...
Be the first to commentTampa gets tough, bans sprinkler watering listen
03/19/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Drought, water, water shortage, Tampa
Addressing a drought situation that appears to only be getting worse, the Tampa City City Council today voted to ban the use of lawn sprinklers, beginning April 3.
The vote was 5-1, only John Dingfelder opposed the measure.
Brad Baird, Water Department manager for the city, said the drought and the lack of potable water available from the reservoir and desalination plant forced the drastic action.
Currently, Tampa citizens can irrigate once a week -- Tuesday for addresses that end in...
1 commentsGlobal Crisis in potable water
03/08/09 Mary Glenney and Arlene EngelhardtFrom A Woman's Point of View
Tags: Water
As part of our International Women's Day celebration, Dr. Maya Trotz, a research fellow with the USF and Patel Global Institute, talked about the importance of clean and potable water not only in her native country of Guayana but also here in the Tampa community. She discussed her research and work with various student groups from grade-school students through post-doctoral fellows at USF.
Be the first to commentEnvironmentalists get Swiftmud to discuss land swap listen
02/20/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Swiftmud, water, land swap
Pressure by a number of environmental groups, members with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, agreed today to take a controversial land swap off their consent agenda to allow for a public hearing.
Members of the Gulf Coast Conservancy, Sierra Club Florida, Defenders of Wildlife, the Environmental Alliance of North Florida, the Gulf Restoration Network, and the Hernando Audubon Society plan on attending Tuesday’s meeting to speak about the proposed land swap bet...
Be the first to commentFlorida Friendly landscaping imminent in St. Pete? listen
11/25/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: water, landscaping, fertilizer
Florida is in the midst of a severe drought, which has led to major restrictions on water use. In response, St. Petersburg City Council member Karl Nurse announced this morning that he is requesting that the city examine landscaping on property it owns and, where appropriate, replace St. Augustine grass with landscaping that is Florida Friendly.
“And the logic of that is twofold. One, it will save money because the maintenance is radically reduced...
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