Because Florida is a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides and has thousands of lakes, streams and rivers, many people fail to realize that there is a growing need for water conservation. Much of the water in Florida is not fresh water, and is not available for drinking and other purposes without costly treatment methods. The conservation need is compounded by Florida's weather extremes, ranging from swampy wet periods to extended drought-like conditions.

We are absolutely convinced that water conservation must be given a high priority. Consider these facts:

• At this time our only drinking water source is the Floridan Aquifer;
• The conclusions of the draft 2008 Water Supply Assessment¹, conducted by the St. Johns River Water Management District (WMD) are clear. We will reach a point when we cannot continue to pump water from the Floridan Aquifer to meet projected growth without harming spring flows, lake levels, wetlands and water quality. Currently, the Assessment study is unable to pinpoint when we will see adverse impacts, but there is enough evidence to conclude that within the next 20 years our community will face serious problems if increased demand puts us in a position of over pumping the resource.

Not only will conserving water help protect Florida's water resources, it will also have a drastic positive impact on your utility bill. In October 2010, the Board of Supervisors adopted a proposed rate structure change to incorporate a tiered conservation rate structure. Multiple inclining volume charges are intended to encourage water conservation. The idea is simple; the more you use, the more you pay. The new rate structure has four tiers. The first tier has the lowest rate, and provides a reasonable amount for water for essential use. As the amount of water used increases to the highest category, the volume charge increases significantly.

The Authority has compiled many conservation resources to help educate and assist you in your efforts to conserve water. Below you will find links to various water conservation resources, as well as an interactive water use survey that will help you understand the impact your water use activities have on Florida's water resources and your utility bill.