Water Conservation Month

April is Water Conservation Month.  This is a great time to evaluate your water conservation 'know-how.' Have you ever stopped to consider these questions:

• How much water do you use per day?
• Did you know that pet waste left lying about is a major source of contamination to our water bodies?
• Do you have a Water Wise landscape? Outdoor water use accounts for about 60% of residential water use.

During this month let’s all try to focus on our water habits and look for ways to conserve more water throughout our daily routine.  The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department’s website provides a wealth of information to get you started conserving for the entire year and not just for the month of April.

 

UF TREEO is committed to water conservation, several years ago we moved from providing bottled water to our students to a water fountain, this switch has saved over $900 a year on bottled water costs, which has more than paid for the installation and use of the drinking fountain.

 

Hopefully at the conclusion of the month of April you will have implemented some great water saving habits that will stay with you throughout the years to come.

 

You may be interested in the UF TREEO  Water Conservation Certificate Program, a suite of online courses that deal with all aspects of water conservation, click here for more details.

 

 

UF TREEO Water Conservation Certificate Program

How many of you have experienced a roller coaster ride or perhaps have had friends or family members share their excited experiences with you about their adventure. Well, I tell you working on and managing the creation of the UF TREEO Water Conservation Certificate Program has been very much like riding a roller coaster. We have spent the last several years meeting, planning, creating, preparing and developing a series of eight courses for an online Water Conservation Certificate Program and I wish this was an announcement of the Program’s completion, however it is not. The purpose of this post is keep you apprised of our development progress to ensure that everyone will be aware of the day they can register for the program. We chose to develop this certificate program because currently, there is no formal training program in Florida for individuals who specialize in water conservation. Unlike some of the national programs that exist, this program has courses that are developed by Florida experts for Florida practitioners. The benefits of the Water Conservation Certificate Program are far-reaching and ongoing, as individuals will be continuously trained. They will in turn implement their learning on their jobs, which will ultimately impact the utilities, water management districts and the customers/communities they serve. The benefits include but are not limited to the following: • Implementation of water conservation programs • Reduced water needs for Florida (nation) • Reduced energy costs • Reduced maintenance costs • Awareness and general knowledge of landscaping and irrigation • More efficient landscape replacement and maintenance • Accuracy in monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting • Water conservation outreach and education to the community • Savings of capital projects to communities Stay with us and watch us grow, within the next few months we will have a few courses in the program ready for enrollment.