Conservation Tips

Water Supply

Rainfall cycles vary, but even during rainy periods only a very small amount of rain goes to replenish our underground water supplies. Dry periods, combined with a higher demand for water, can put a strain on our water supplies.

Usage

The average adult needs only 2.5 quarts of water a day to maintain health, but each person in Florida uses nearly 100 gallons of water per day. That's why it's important to use water wisely, at home, work or at school. By conserving water today, we can do our part to keep water pure and plentiful for future generations.

Indoor and Outdoorr Conservation

Below are several tips for indoor and outdoor water conservation you can perform at home. Check out the University of Florida IFAS Extension for more tips on water conservation.

Indoor Conservation

Verify your home is leak free. Follow the City’s guide to be a leak detector at your home.
Turn off the water when you brush your teeth which will save about 4.5 gallons of water during each brushing.
Each minute you reduce in your shower about 2.5 gallons of water is saved. Reducing your shower by 4 minutes will save 10 gallons each time resulting in yearly savings of 3,650 gallons per person.
Using water saving fixtures, such as a low-flow faucet, showerhead, and toilet can reduce indoor water usage by 20%.
Look out for WaterSense labeled products which indicate the product is water efficient.
Operate washing machines and dishwashers only when you have a full load.

Outdoor Conservation

Choosing plant material suited to the site conditions will reduce the need for water, as well as fertilizer, pesticides and pruning needs.
Maintaining a 2-3” layer of mulch (after settling) around trees, shrubs and bedding plants will help keep the soil moist plus reduce erosion and inhibit weed growth.
Following the watering restrictions set by the St. Johns River Water Management District by not watering between 10 am and 4 pm.
Install a rain shutoff device if you have an automatic irrigation system so that the system will shut off when it rains.
Install a micro-irrigation system that delivers water directly to the root zone through low-flow-rate emitters.
Calibrate your irrigation system and make sure your smart irrigation controller and smart shutoff device are working properly.

Florida Water Star

The St. Johns Water Management District is promoting Florida Water Star. Florida Water Star is a certification program for homes and commercial buildings that 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.

To do this, the program currently offers resources and incentives to builders and home buyers who value water efficiency in new home construction. The program may later be expanded to include ways to update or retrofit older homes.

Florida Friendly Landscaping

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) is the state of Florida’s premier Extension program that promotes sustainable alternatives to “conventional” landscaping, providing guidance on low impact, environmentally friendly, science-based landscape practices that use less water and reduce pollutant loading to Florida waters. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program and UF/IFAS offer many resources to help you create a Florida-friendly landscape, including publications that you can download for free or purchase, detailed guidance on the 9 Principles, and webinars.

April is Water Conservation Month

The City of Daytona Beach promotes April as Water Conservation Month highlighting the importance of reducing water waste. The theme for 2025 was “Are you overwatering?” which emphasized irrigation evaluations as outdoor watering accounts for over 50% of new home water use. The City of Daytona Beach follows the watering restrictions by the St. Johns River Water Management District which can be found here.