St. Johns River Water Management District

News Release

nr09-049

Florida Water Star offers new 'Gold' standard for water savings

PALATKA, Fla., Aug. 3, 2009 - A home water conservation certification program - Florida Water StarSM - was expanded today to include a new Gold tier that provides an even higher standard for water efficiency in the home than the current Silver tier.

Similar to the federal Energy Star program, but with a water conservation focus, the St. Johns River Water Management District's Florida Water StarSM certification program encourages water efficiency in household appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes. The program promotes the economic and environmental benefits of efficiency in new home construction by offering a third-party certified inspection to guarantee water efficiency in new home construction.

"Florida Water StarSM is already a high performing water conservation program that the District has successfully engaged builders and local governments in implementing," said Deirdre Irwin, the District's Florida Water StarSM coordinator. "The Gold tier we've added to the residential version of Florida Water StarSM is even higher performing, not only helping to save more water, but it also includes a water quality component."

The District launched Florida Water StarSM in 2006, and the first house was certified in July 2006 under the Silver tier. Several local governments support the Florida Water StarSM Program with incentives and rebates. The program is also offered in the South and Southwest Florida water management districts.

Under the program, a checklist is used to determine whether all prerequisites have been met and sufficient points have been achieved to merit Florida Water StarSM certification.

Under the new Gold tier, a residence must achieve additional points and meet more rigid requirements than in the Silver tier. For example, a Gold tier certification requires that a residence have less turf grass while meeting numerous prerequisites, such as using properly installed micro-irrigation systems in plant beds.

Indoors, a Gold tier home must feature high-efficiency toilets and low-flow faucets and related indoor conservation practices. The Gold tier additionally requires a host of best management practices (BMPs), such as the use of organic mulches and unirrigated plant beds near shorelines and seawalls.

A Florida Water StarSM landscape can benefit the homeowner by reducing maintenance costs and the time needed to care for the landscape. Florida Water StarSM Silver is designed to save a minimum of 40 percent of outdoor water use and 20 percent indoor water use. Florida Water StarSM Gold is designed to exceed this conservation goal.

For more information about Florida Water StarSM, visit the program's Web site at floridawaterstar.com .

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