News & Public Affairs
Florida's drought; unreasonable private sewer rates
04/30/12 Jon ButtsSustainable Living and Alternative Health Listen to this entire show:
Tags: drought, water, sewer, humanure, Earth Ship
We started today’s show with an interview with Robyn Felix with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Yep, it’s dry and looks like it’ll be that way for another month. On water conservation the first thing Robyn mentioned was checking for leaks and there’s more in www.watermatters.org about finding them. Joining the show next was a resident of Polk County whose sewer rates recently tripled. Kelduyn Garland claims that Aqua Star, her sewer provider that’s owned by an out of sta...
Be the first to commentWater restrictions will continue in greater Tampa Bay region listen
07/26/11 Joshua Lee HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: swiftmud, water, watering restrictions, drought, environment, SWFWMD
Despite rain this month, there’s still serious doubt about the Tampa Bay region’s ability to manage the recent drought. Today, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or SWFWMD decided to continue water restrictions in order to maintain the regional water supply.
Robyn Felix is a spokesperson with SWFWMD. She says the water restrictions will continue across all 16 counties because the lack of water during the previous year continues to impact water resources.
For the last seve...
Be the first to commentSWFWMD Board Considers Impact of January Freeze listen
03/30/10 Tom BaurWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: SWFWMD, swiftmud, water, drought, sinkholes
During this January’s hard freeze, farmers sprayed well water onto their plants to protect them from the cold. There’s still controversy over who will pay for damaged wells and roads.
More than 50 people today attended the Southwest Florida Water Management District Board meeting at Hillsborough Community College Plant City campus. Plant City homeowner Steven Gambrells is concerned that the high volume of water pumped from the Flori...
Be the first to commentAre the sinkholes that are closing highways due to agricultural water use? listen
01/13/10 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: swiftmud, sinkholes, drought
In Polk and eastern Hillsborough counties, many wells are drying up and several sinkholes have developed. Some of these sinkholes have closed major highways.
Sinkholes can form when groundwater levels drop dramatically, leading to the collapse of underground limestone caverns. According to Southwest Florida Water Management District spokesperson Robyn Felix, rates of groundwater pumping have been high during the last two weeks of freezing and near-freezin...
Be the first to commentDrought and water restrictions continue says SWFWMD listen
11/06/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: swiftmud, water, drought, reservoir
Despite a moderate amount of summer rain, the west Central Florida region is still in a multi-year drought entering the winter dry season. That means water restrictions are still in place throughout the entire Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). According to SWFWMD spokesperson Robyn Felix, the restrictions are most severe in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties.
Be the first to commentTampa Bay Water faces potential fine listen
08/17/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
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...
Be the first to commentTampa lifts ban on lawn watering listen
05/28/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Tampa City Council, water, drought, water restrictions
Following Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio’s recommendation, the Tampa City Council today voted 5-2 to rescind the nearly two-month-long ban on lawn watering.
Beginning Monday, those with sprinkling systems will be able to water their lawns once a week from midnight to 4 a.m. Those who do not have a sprinkling system can water from 6 to 8 a.m. or 6 to 10 p.m.
Councilmembers Charlie Miranda and Mary Mulhern voted no. Miranda said the Council was setting a bad precedent by reversing themselves. ...
Be the first to commentTampa 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 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...
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