PALATKA, Fla., Nov. 18, 2009 - The St. Johns River Water Management District today introduced a new tier in its Florida Water StarSM (FWS) program to provide existing homeowners water conserving opportunities.
The new "Bronze" tier will be pilot tested for four to six months throughout much of Florida within the St. Johns River, South Florida and Southwest Florida water management districts.
"Development of this residential retrofit tier is the work of a large stakeholder group from around the state," said Jeff Cole, director of the St. Johns District's Office of Communications and Governmental Affairs. "Where the Silver and Gold tiers successfully work with builders of new homes to conserve water, the Bronze tier has been developed to certify homeowners' efforts to retrofit their existing homes for water efficiency. Its focus is on efficiency while providing cost-effective measures for the homeowner."
Also considered is the broad range of existing uses in the home, from a condominium with no yard to an older home on a half-acre lot with an aging irrigation system.
The criteria offer ways for every homeowner to succeed in certification of their efficiency efforts. FWS Bronze includes multiple opportunities for a homeowner to demonstrate an understanding of various water-use components of a home. For example, a homeowner can earn points for demonstrating his or her knowledge of the irrigation controller and how it is programmed.
To become involved in the certification process, a homeowner must meet certain prerequisites such as a high-volume irrigation system (sprays and rotors) that waters only 75 percent of the landscape. FWS Bronze applicants also must have a functioning rain shut-off device such as a rain sensor.
Inside the home, all fixtures must, at a minimum, meet current Florida building code. For example, toilets must be no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Points are awarded for use of high-efficient toilets, usually 1.28 gallons per flush.
Visit floridawaterstar.com or contact Florida Water StarSM Program Coordinator Deirdre Irwin at dirwin@sjrwmd.com for more information.