Why conserve water? Doesn’t Florida normally get plenty of rain?
Florida’s public water supply is dependent on underground aquifers that have collected rainfall for millions of years. Fickle weather cycles with abundant rain followed by drought cannot replace the millions of gallons of water that are used daily by a growing population. Although Florida receives an average of 50 to 55 inches of rain per year, about 65 percent of that evaporates. Only a small percentage of total rainfall replenishes the ground and surface water supplies. Conservation is easy, not to mention much more cost-efficient than other alternatives. Although alternative sources of drinking water are being considered in areas that are likely to experience significant water supply challenges, these alternatives — such as desalination and surface water withdrawal — will require extensive treatment before being drinkable. Thus, alternatives will be much more expensive, and water users will ultimately shoulder the cost burden.
