The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) is helping county residents save water and money by celebrating July as Smart Irrigation Month.
July is a peak time for outdoor water use, making it the perfect time to promote efficient water use.
“This July, take a few minutes to identify ways that you and your family can become more water efficient and still maintain beautiful yards and landscaping,” said WASD director Lester Sola.
One way residents can save water and money is to take advantage of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department’s free evaluations of single family homes’ irrigation systems. The evaluation will provide homeowners with details on how to make their irrigation system more water-efficient. Homeowners who implement the recommendations and provide verification of the retrofits will qualify for up to $500 in rebates a year.
Homeowners do not need to implement all recommendations at once to be eligible for rebates. They can implement the retrofits for what works best for their system and their budgets.
Outdoor irrigation accounts for up to 50 percent of water use in Florida, and up to 50 percent of the water applied to lawns is lost to evaporation; some households may lose up to 70 gallons of water each day. In order to conserve as much water as possible, Sola said, “We must be vigilant especially when watering our lawns to make every drop count.”
For more information on the irrigation program and other water conservation programs, go to www.miamidade.gov.